Verstappen says he was ‘closer to retiring’ than leaving Red Bull

'I was closer to retiring than changing teams'

The four-time world champion has agreed to remain with Red Bull until the end of 2030, extending his previous contract by another two seasons.

Red Bull confirmed the new deal ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, bringing an end to more than a year of speculation surrounding Verstappen’s next move. Mercedes had been heavily linked with him last year, while McLaren was also mentioned as a possible destination this season.

But according to Verstappen, switching teams was never really what he wanted. He said he had no particular urge to leave Red Bull simply to see whether he could win somewhere else, especially while he remains comfortable with the team.

"Because I know that they do everything for me, and they know that I do everything for them once I’m on the track and trying to get the results.”

In fact, Verstappen suggested that leaving F1 altogether had been a more realistic possibility than switching teams. When asked whether he had spoken to any other teams, he joked: “I think I was closer to retiring than changing teams.”

Why Verstappen nearly walked away

His previous Red Bull contract was due to last until 2028 and contained performance-related clauses that could potentially have allowed him to leave.

More importantly, the introduction of F1’s new power-unit regulations for 2026 left Verstappen seriously questioning whether he still wanted to compete in the championship.

The new engines rely far more heavily on electric power, creating a roughly 50-50 balance between electrical energy and the internal combustion engine.

Verstappen was highly critical of the changes, describing the new regulations as “anti-racing” early in the season and later admitting after the Japanese Grand Prix that he was considering quitting at the end of 2026.

That uncertainty was eventually eased through discussions with F1 and the FIA. Changes are already planned to address some of the issues surrounding the current regulations, while a return to a simpler V8 engine has also been discussed for 2030.

Those developments helped persuade Verstappen that staying through the current regulation cycle was worthwhile. He admitted just how uncertain his future, saying: “I have to say, after the first few races [of 2026] I said to Laurent [Mekies, Red Bull team principal] don’t come to me with any kind of questions about the future because I didn’t even know if I wanted to stay in F1."

“From my side, of course, I accepted the situation that I think we’re all in and just trying to make the best of that. I think also with the year that I signed to it again opens up the door maybe when potentially the V8s come in to look at that again as well.”

Verstappen, currently sixth in the drivers' championship, will still be on the grid to feel the difference, and you can follow the rest of the season in JOE's sport coverage.