Verstappen rules out contract extension: his future beyond 2028 remains uncertain

Max Verstappen has made clear he has no intention of signing a new contract with Red Bull anytime soon — and the reason goes deeper than timing. The four-time world champion says he has not yet decided whether he even wants to continue in Formula 1 beyond his current deal.

No rush to commit

When pressed on whether Red Bull would prefer him to commit beyond 2028, the Dutchman's response was characteristically blunt: "I first have to decide for myself whether I also want to continue a bit longer than 2028. That's why I'm not in a hurry. Otherwise I would have long since signed my contract until 2040!"

Power unit regulations at the heart of the matter

At Monaco, however, Verstappen offered a more measured tone. He praised the FIA for the work being done to explore changes — a nuance worth noting given the scale of his earlier ultimatum. For more on where that regulatory debate stands, Verstappen backs FIA to 'make the right call' on 60/40 power unit split outlines his position in full.

Leclerc's extension puts Verstappen in the spotlight

The contract topic was unavoidable at Monaco given that Charles Leclerc had just put pen to paper on a new deal with Ferrari, extending his stay with the Scuderia beyond 2028. The news naturally raised the question of whether Red Bull would push Verstappen to do the same — a question the Dutchman answered with unmistakable clarity.

For now, the reigning champion's focus remains on the present. Whether his future lies in F1 at all beyond 2028 remains an open question — one that Verstappen himself has not yet answered.