Verstappen: I was closer to retiring than changing teams

Max Verstappen has disclosed that the possibility of retiring from Formula 1 was more likely than him leaving Red Bull for another team. The Dutch driver recently extended his contract with Red Bull until 2030.

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I was closer to retiring than changing teams.

Following the agreement, Verstappen revealed that despite receiving offers, he was not seriously considering continuing with a different team. "I was closer to retiring than changing teams," he stated. He mentioned that early in the season, he asked his manager, "Laurent Mekies, not to ask me questions about the future, because I didn't even know if I wanted to stay." However, he noted that they always kept things open.

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Laurent Mekies, not to ask me questions about the future, because I didn't even know if I wanted to stay.

Verstappen expressed his enjoyment of racing and his engagement in discussions with Formula 1 and the FIA regarding regulations. "Slowly we are working towards something that is becoming better and better," he said. He believes that his new contract opens the door to potentially re-evaluating his future when V8 engines are introduced.

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Slowly we are working towards something that is becoming better and better.

He reiterated his long-standing goal to finish his career at Red Bull, a sentiment he shared even when Dietrich Mateschitz was alive. "I believe we are getting closer to that," he stated, expressing pride in the renewal and a strong desire to return to the top. "We have tasted a lot of what it's like to be at the top. That's why I believe you are even more thirsty to get back there."

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I always said, and I had said it even when Dietrich Mateschitz was alive, that my goal is to finish my career in this team.