Red Bull 'feared' Verstappen's resignation shortly before contract extension

Shortly before Red Bull officially released the news, a video - complete with somber-sounding music - appeared on the team’s social media channels in which team boss Mekies visibly jumped after opening an email. On his screen was an email with the subject line ‘Max Verstappen resigns’, to which the Frenchman immediately responded: "This can’t be right."

Verstappen, who was in the same office, then pointed out that a simple hyphen was missing. Instead of 'resigns' (quits), it should have been 're-signs' (extends his contract). As it turned out, the supposed resignation letter was actually the announcement of his new deal through 2030, which was officially released shortly thereafter.

Verstappen’s contract extension definitively puts an end to the speculation that has been circulating almost nonstop over the past year and a half.

Although Verstappen was already under contract with Red Bull Racing through 2028 and reiterated at the announcement that he always intended to stay, he was regularly linked with a departure. Initially, the rumors focused mainly on Mercedes, whose team principal Toto Wolff openly expressed interest in the four-time world champion.

In recent months, however, attention increasingly shifted to McLaren. The British team was repeatedly mentioned as a possible destination for Verstappen, despite the ongoing contracts of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Meanwhile, Red Bull consistently maintained that Verstappen would stay, after which the team definitively ended all speculation just before the Dutch Grand Prix weekend in Zandvoort by announcing a new agreement through 2030.