ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP) — Max Verstappen says he seriously considered leaving Formula 1 before the four-time champion instead committed to four more years with Red Bull on Thursday.The announcement of his contract extension ahead of Verstappen’s home Dutch Grand Prix this weekend ends speculation that he could seek a blockbuster move to another team or quit the sport. It comes despite Red Bull struggling to match the pace of leading team Mercedes this season, and Verstappen’s own frustration with how much the 2026 cars rely on electrical power.“After the first few races (this year), I said to Laurent (Mekies, Red Bull team principal): ‘Don’t come to me with any kind of questions about the future because I don’t even know if I want to stay.’ Honestly, we always kept it very open,” Verstappen said. He added that talks with F1 and governing body the FIA had persuaded him that “we are slowly working towards something that becomes better and better” with the current cars, while the new contract until 2030 could cover a planned return to simpler V8 engines.
“Even if I’m not entirely happy with how the package is, I still love racing, this is still the pinnacle of motorsport, so I still want to be here,” he added.Asked whether he’d spoken with other teams, he said: “I think I was closer to retiring than changing team.”
