Contract extension for Verstappen: This is how his career looks so far

Max Verstappen extended his contract at Red Bull Racing on Thursday morning. It ensures that the Dutchman is stuck with the Austrian racing team until the end of 2028. The driver was very successful in 2021 by winning the world title, but what did the road ahead look like?

Because of his father Jos Verstappen, the Dutch driver came into contact with motorsport at a young age. At the time, Verstappen experienced at first hand what it is like to be in that world and saw the pressure his father had to deal with. He himself started out in the karting world, where people quickly saw that Verstappen had a great future ahead of him in motorsport.

Debut at Toro Rosso

In 2014, he made the switch to Formula 3 where he again learned at lightning speed and reached a high level at a young age, leading to an offer to join the Red Bull Junior Team. There too he showed excellent development.

The team had seen enough and allowed him to make his Formula One debut in a Toro Rosso in 2015. Verstappen was only 17 years old at the time, but proved capable of getting the most out of his car like no other. Together with teammate Carlos Sainz, he collected points for his team on several occasions.

Switch to Red Bull

Also in 2016 Verstappen seemed to race at Toro Rosso, but just before the Barcelona Grand Prix Red Bull decided to make a big decision. Due to disappointing results, Daniil Kvjat was given the news that he had to drive for Toro Rosso from now on, while Verstappen was given the opportunity to race for Red Bull.

Verstappen was still young at the time, but managed to convince the critics at lightning speed. In Barcelona, the Dutchman saw Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg driving against each other, which suddenly gave him the opportunity to drive in the lead. He kept that up until the end of the race, ensuring the first victory for Verstappen.

Verstappen wins world title in 2021

In the years that followed, Verstappen managed to win several times, but the championship always proved too difficult. This led to public doubts as to whether it was wise to continue racing at Red Bull, but Verstappen didn't care. He kept full confidence in his team and with a Honda engine in 2021, he proved capable of making things difficult for Mercedes.

Especially in the second half of the season, Verstappen had a weaker car, but thanks to the great qualities of the driver he still managed to stay ahead of Hamilton in the world championship. The race victory in Abu Dhabi and thus winning the world championship was ultimately the crowning glory.