Verstappen Confirms Serious Talks with Mercedes and McLaren

Verstappen’s future has regularly been a topic of discussion over the past F1 seasons. Mercedes in particular was long linked with the four-time world champion last year, while this year McLaren played a leading role in the transfer rumors. Verstappen now confirms not only that talks did take place, but also that he always takes such conversations seriously.

When, in a conversation with the BBC, he is asked whether he spoke with Mercedes last year and McLaren this year, Verstappen does not deny it. “Of course you take every conversation seriously. They are all very respectful talks. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that,” he says.

In the end, Verstappen didn’t see enough reason to leave Red Bull. “I felt that staying was the right choice for me. You have to follow your heart. I could have walked away from Red Bull very early in my career and tried to win somewhere else. If you have a bit of patience, you’ll win eventually. I feel like that’s my approach again now,” he explains.

Verstappen ultimately signed a new agreement with Red Bull this year. His contract runs in principle through 2030, although the deal undoubtedly contains performance clauses. That made his choice to stay longer with the Austrian team important, especially given the talks being held with other teams in the meantime and the fact that he could have activated such a clause as early as this summer.

He chose not to do so, however. During that period, Verstappen tried to keep the focus within Red Bull primarily on the car’s performance. He says he made it clear to the team multiple times that they didn’t need to constantly worry about his contract: if the speed came, the signature would follow naturally.

“I always told them: ‘Don’t worry about it, just work on the car.’ Because the faster the car goes, the easier the decision becomes,” Verstappen explains. According to him, that didn’t change the fact that there was some uncertainty within Red Bull. “Of course I can understand that they might have been a little worried at times. But at the same time I was mainly concerned about what was going on here.”

The fact that Verstappen spoke with Mercedes and McLaren in the meantime didn’t mean he was constantly preoccupied with a possible departure. His activities outside Formula 1 also demanded much of his attention. “At the same time, I was also very busy with my own things outside Formula 1. So I never really spent a lot of time talking, doing all sorts of different things, or trying to go somewhere else,” he says.

His long relationship with Red Bull played an important role in his decision. Verstappen has been driving for the team since 2016 and won his four world titles with the Austrian outfit. Despite the more difficult period this year, he saw enough reason to remain part of the project.

“It also comes down to feeling good within a team. For me, this is like a second family,” Verstappen reiterates words he has often said. “The belief that you can turn the situation around, that you can hopefully build a better future with other people, new people. And ultimately, for me it’s not just about Formula 1. There are many things I’m doing next year that also involve Red Bull.”

That’s why he ultimately ended up with his current employer again. “I feel good here. So for me, this is the right place to be.” Verstappen also emphasizes that he didn’t simply want to move to the team with the fastest car. “I don’t mind the challenge either. I don’t have that urge or need to show in a different car that I can win with it, or whatever.”

“It’s easy to run to the fastest car and then do it all over again. But that’s not how I’m wired. You can’t be the captain of the ship and jump off as soon as something doesn’t work,” he continues. “Since the dominant years it’s gone a bit downhill, but I also don’t mind building it back up again. That’s a new challenge as well.”