Max Verstappen has no intention of leaving Red Bull during his Formula 1 career and wants to stay until he’s 40.
The Dutchman’s future with the Austrian energy drinks giant has been called into question on several occasions during his four years with the senior team, with most speculation linking him to an eventual move to Mercedes.
However, at the start of 2020, he surprised many by quickly agreeing a new three-year deal with Red Bull until the end of 2023 and, as long as the car is fast enough, Verstappen claims he won’t look anywhere else.
“Yes, I want to stay with Red Bull and I have no intention of ever leaving,” GrandPrix.com quoted him as telling Dutch station Radio 538.
“If I continue to properly monitor myself, stay fit and look after my body, I can continue until I am 40.”
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That thought would no doubt thrill team boss Christian Horner and recently, speaking to another ex-Red Bull driver in David Coulthard, the Briton compared Verstappen to Sebastian Vettel, who’s achievements he is trying to emulate.
“I remember Sebastian’s debriefs would take about two hours,” Horner told F1 Unscripted. “We’d be half-an-hour in and he’s just completed the formation lap and tested his drinks bottle!
“But the detail he used to go into in recounting every stage of the race, every stage of the tyre, it was way too much information for us to be able to even digest. It was a useful exercise for him as well to go through, recounting what could have been done better.
“It’s funny, but as Max matures, the information coming from him gets deeper and deeper because of his understanding,” the Briton noted. “But their ability to recount details is phenomenal.”