Max Verstappen entered F1 as a child prodigy with Red Bull, aiming to make him the youngest F1 champion. Though, the Dutchman failed to beat Sebastian Vettel’s mark. However, he managed to return immensely on the investments made by the Milton-Keynes-based outfit.
He is now a two-time world champion and is gradually eclipsing Lewis Hamilton as the hottest F1 entity. With over 35 wins, Verstappen is breaking records at blistering speed.
This level of dominance wasn’t foreseen, but he was sure to be expected to be a great F1 driver, as not everyone gets to drive an F1 car at a Grand Prix weekend before they even become an adult.
Also read: Helmut Marko dismisses Daniel Ricciardo’s chances of replacing Mexican driver at Red Bull
Max Verstappen rewarded exponentially by Red Bull
Verstappen made his F1 debut at age 17 with Toro Rosso in 2015. At that time, his salary was only $200,000. The Dutchman joined Red Bull the following year, and he got an impressive raise to $650,000.
Fast forward to 2022, Verstappen, after winning his maiden title, got a mega contract renewal. With that, his annual remuneration was set to $55 million. A colossal hike of $54.3 million.
Indeed, Red Bull has to reward the 25-year-old like that, as he is the most desirable F1 driver on the grid and has all the youth at his side. So, the five-time world champions can’t afford to neglect a driver who has the potential to be an all-time great.
The deal makes him bonded with Red Bull till 2028. With all the advertisements and sponsorships, he reportedly earned more than Hamilton in 2022.
What lies ahead for him?
In 2022, Red Bull won the championship comprehensively. The Austrian team won 17 of the 22 scheduled races. Out of that, 15 was in Verstappen’s name, setting a record for an individual in F1 for most wins.
With so much prowess, no rival side could stop Verstappen and Red Bull from being the world champions. Now, ahead of 2023, they are likely to defend their title.
However, they have been slammed with a massive reduction in their wind tunnel time after they allegedly breached their cost cap, which could halt their crucial developments. But how much would that affect their championship contention? That would be only known next year.
Also read: Lewis Hamilton felt “it was like a ghost was in the car” during the 2022 season with Mercedes
