Max Verstappen gave the reason why he extended his contract with Red Bull in a Q&A with BBC Sport. The Dutchman had no shortage of options and could have left the Austrian team earlier. Yet he has always remained clear and loyal to his team.
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During the negotiations, Verstappen made it clear that Red Bull does not need to feel any pressure. “I have always said: don’t stress too much and focus on the car. The faster the car goes, the easier the decision is for me. I understand that they sometimes worried about it, but the only thing I was stressed about was the development of our car.”
That Red Bull is less competitive than before is therefore no reason for Verstappen to leave the team. “I don’t mind this challenge. I don’t need to prove to myself that I can win in another car. It’s easy to just choose another team with the fastest car, but that’s not who I am. You can’t be the captain of a ship and then leave the ship as soon as things aren’t going well.”
Deliberate choice
Before the contract extension, there were many rumors about Verstappen. Mercedes and McLaren were both said to be interested in the services of the four-time world champion. He does not deny this. “Every conversation you have, you take seriously. They have all been very respectful, so there is nothing wrong with that, but I felt that staying with Red Bull was the right choice. At such a moment, you have to follow your heart.”
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“I could have left Red Bull much earlier in my career if I had wanted to,” Verstappen adds. “Then I could also have had the fastest car. If you just have a little patience, you will eventually win and that is how I still look at it now.”
During the season, Verstappen doubted whether racing under the current regulations is still worthwhile. Yet he was persuaded to continue longer in the top class. “You just have to hope it gets better in the future. Accept where we are now and embrace the love for the sport. I still don’t enjoy driving at the moment, but the love for the sport is still there.”
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