"I still have the option to continue or not" - Max Verstappen feels 'really good' at Red Bull but does not rule out a Mercedes or Ferrari move at the end of his contract

Max Verstappen won his maiden F1 championship and a fifth drivers' championship for Red Bull last season. The Dutchman, however, recently revealed that he is not closed off to the idea of moving to a different team at the end of his contract with the Milton Keynes team, despite its competitive package. Given that the Dutchman would only be 31 years old by the end of the 2028 season when his contract expires, opportunities to drive for the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari are certainly not too farfetched.

As quoted by PlanetF1, Verstappen shared his current stance with Red Bull and expectations for the future, saying:

“I feel really good in the team. There is no reason to leave the team. We get along well and we have a competitive package. At the end of the contract, I will only be 31 years old. Then I still have the option to continue or not. I’m still not old at the end of the contract.”

This would not be too shocking, given that Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously admitted that there is a release clause in Max Verstappen's contract. The performance-related clause allows the Dutchman to look for greener pastures on the off-chance that Red Bull loses its edge to the top teams in the future.

---

"My motivation is even higher now" - Max Verstappen on a second potential championship title

Max Verstappen has been very vocal about the fact that everything coming after his first championship title is simply a bonus. He, however, also revealed that his motivation to feel the same rush of winning is now greater than ever.

As reported by The Sports Rush, the reigning world champion said:

“I’ve already said that if I win a championship, my goal in F1 is achieved, and anything else that comes after is a bonus, and I will enjoy it. It’s not like, ‘I’ve won a Championship now, so let’s go party here, and let’s go party there’, and not be motivated. I think my motivation is even higher now to try to achieve that feeling or try to feel the same thing again. At the same time, it’s also more about trying to enjoy the weekends when you are away, and trying to spend a bit of time away from the F1 paddock and see the city more.”

Despite reliability issues early on in the 2022 season, Verstappen is quickly catching up to championship leader Charles Leclerc in the drivers' standings.