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Christian Horner claims he has the paperwork ready for when Max Verstappen looks to extend his contract with Red Bull. The Red Bull team principal is all set to keep their championship-winning driver with the team for years to come after the young driver confirmed it himself post his first-ever F1 drivers' title win on Sunday.
Verstappen narrowly clinched the 2021 F1 title from Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Upon winning the championship, the Dutchman was immediately heard asking his team whether he could race with them for the next 10 or 15 years.
The Briton was asked about Verstappen's future with the team at the FIA Champions' press conference on Thursday, when he said:
"Well, he said for 15 years. I have the paperwork with me tight and then it should be very straightforward."
Horner went on to talk about his relationship with Max Verstappen and how he enjoys working with the young driver. Claiming that the relationship the duo shared was worth more than any contract could outline, he said:
"Look it's, you know relationships I think are not about contracts. You know, he came into the team almost as a boy and he has grown into a young man, and he has grown with the team. I think that the relationship that we share, the trust that we share with each other is worth more than any piece of paper. I look forward to racing with Max Verstappen for many years to come and I believe the best years are very much still to come."
Red Bull is likely to extend Verstappen's contract soon, as his current contract runs until the end of 2023.
Max Verstappen broke the long-standing Michael Schumacher record in 2021
Max Verstappen is the first driver to achieve more than 17 podiums in a single season of F1, as he achieved his 18th podium of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher previously held the record with 17 podiums, which had been equaled by drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, but never broken until 2021.
Schumacher, however, had a perfect score, appearing on the podium 17 times in a season with 17 races. In percentage terms, this translates to 100%, while Verstappen's new record translates to 81.8%.
