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“Now it’s about keeping the ‘Number 1’ on the car long term”: Max Verstappen on what he aims to achieve with Red Bull after penning bumper contract extension

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Max Verstappen extends his stay at Red Bull to the end of the 2028 season after signing a five year contract extension with them.  

Verstappen has spent all of his F1 career within the Red Bull ranks. He made his first appearance in the sport with their sister team Toro Rosso at FP1 of the 2014 Japanese GP.

The following year, he landed himself a full time seat with the outfit and put in performances that turned a lot of heads. His results were so good that he replaced Daniil Kvyat at the Red Bull team, midway into the 2016 season.

In his first race for Red Bull, he became the youngest F1 race-winner of all time by taking the chequered flag in Barcelona, at just 18 years old. Since then, he hasn’t looked back and repaid the faith Red Bull showed in him by winning the 2021 World Championship.

Doing so, he became Red Bull’s first World Champion since Sebastian Vettel in 2013. After winning the Title last year, he revealed that he wanted to be a part of the Austrian team forever. He along with team principal Christian Horner also mentioned the fact that the Dutchman would sign a ’10-15 year contract.’

The contract he did is not quite as lengthy as what they speculated about, but it’s still massive. On Thursday, Red Bull and Verstappen announced that the 24-year old had signed a five year extension, that keeps him in Milton-Keynes until at-least 2028.

Also read: Red Bull chief on why he blames Lewis Hamilton for Michael Masi’s ‘unfair’ sacking

Max Verstappen aims to achieve bigger things with Red Bull in the coming years

After winning the Title last season, Verstappen admitted that he had achieved his life dream of becoming F1 champion. He added that anything more would just be a ‘bonus’.

However, coming into the 2022 campaign, he seems hungrier than ever to continue with, and even surpass his successful career at Red Bull so far.

While talking about his extension, Verstappen said, “I really enjoy being part of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. So choosing to stay to the 2028 season was an easy decision.”

“I love this team and last year was simply incredible. Our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we have done that. So now it’s about keeping the number one on the car long-term.”

Verstappen’s new deal with Red Bull is the most lucrative in Formula 1 history. His five year deal will see him earn around €50 million per year.

Also read: Anonymous Alpine source claims Fernando Alonso will struggle in 2022

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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