He now joins Ferrari, where Michael Schumacher helped the team win 11 titles in six years.

Max Verstappen is now a four-time world champion after another dominant campaign, although Red Bull failed to achieve a third double on the rebound.

Sergio Perez’s underperformance – finishing 285 points behind Verstappen – ensured McLaren won their first Constructors’ title this century.

Perez could lose his Red Bull seat as a result, but Verstappen’s future is much more assured.

Verstappen has a Red Bull contract until the end of the 2028 seasonone of the longest deals on the network.

It’s no surprise that team principal Christian Horner wanted to ensure Verstappen couldn’t move elsewhere for that long given his abilities.

Only Hamilton and Schumacher have won more races than Verstappen during their F1 careers, with the Dutchman rapidly closing in on the prize list in recent years.

Verstappen made it clear he doesn’t want to race in F1 foreverwith the ambition to embark on other projects.

He has now explained how he would feel if he stayed at Red Bull beyond his current contract.

Max Verstappen unsure of staying at Red Bull beyond 2028

Verstappen was a guest on Sport and conversation at Hangar 7 and the host told the four-time world champion: “You indicated on two or three occasions that you would not race in Formula 1 forever, but that you had plans for afterwards.

“I hope you will tell us here that you will fulfill your contract until 2028 and that you will stay with us even longer.”

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Verstappen responded to this and said: “Yes, but it will still be a few years away, so we will see again.”

Although Verstappen doesn’t seem willing to move elsewhere yet, he could have a new teammate very soon.

Liam Lawson should replace Perezmaking him one of the least experienced drivers to ever race for Horner’s team.

Verstappen will know he must back Lawson if Red Bull are to win the constructors’ championship again, but has never hesitated to prioritize his personal ambitions.

What would Max Verstappen’s options be if he decided to leave Red Bull?

The short answer is that Verstappen would probably have his choice of virtually any team on the F1 grid, or any motor racing grid for that matter.

Mercedes has long admired Verstappen and narrowly missed out on signing the young Dutchman before joining Red Bull’s academy.

Aston Martin is also keen on Verstappenalthough it may just be an enticing project for the 27-year-old after the 2026 season, when he hopes to be more competitive.

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Max’s father, Jos, disagrees with Horner and this rift could end up impacting how long he stays with the team, particularly if they suffer a drop in performance.

However, Verstappen seems very happy to stay put at the moment and continue to accumulate pole positions, victories and championships.

His loyalties could be tested during F1’s next era if Red Bull cannot continue to fight at the front of the grid.

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