Verstappen insists changing teams ‘not on my mind’

Max Verstappen has reiterated his stance on his near-term future in Formula 1, insisting that changing teams is not on his mind.

The three-time world champion’s situation with the Milton Keynes-based outfit continues to be a topic of discussion among pundits, even despite his claims of contentment at Red Bull.

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, suggesting a long-term commitment. However, speculation about his tenure with the bulls has swirled throughout 2024.

This has been in large part fueled by off-track developments at the championship winning team, including an internal investigation into claims of inappropriate conduct by team boss Christian Horner and the upcoming departure of star designer Adrian Newey.

Verstappen has repeatedly and publicly stated his desire to remain with Red Bull, as long as the team continues to provide a positive working environment and fields the fastest car on the grid.

But recent races have added a bit of intrigue into the mix. McLaren's win in Miami and strong performance in Imola have showcased their growing competitiveness, while Ferrari’s triumph last weekend in Monaco further confirmed the change to F1’s competitive landscape.

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In Monaco, Verstappen was directly asked if the tight battle at the head of the field had altered his perspective on a potential move away from Red Bull.

“Well, it doesn’t work like that,” the Dutchman replied. “I mean, I think we still have a very, very fast car, and if you look at the average of the season so far, I think we do have the fastest car. Otherwise, you’re not leading the championship.

“But I’m happy where I’m at. There’s so much investment going on as well with the engine side of things [at Red Bull Powertrains], and I’m happy. We just need to keep on working, keep on trying to improve our package.

“But yeah, that’s the only thing that I’m thinking about at the moment.

“I mean, I think if you start thinking like that, you can almost change at one point every single race if you want to change to another team or whatever. But it’s not on my mind.”

Mercedes is rumored to have offered Verstappen an eye-watering amount to lure him to Brackley, but team boss Toto Wolff knows that the chances of convincing the Dutchman to jump ship and join his outfit are slim as long as the Silver Arrows squad continues to struggle.

“Max is not going to get in a car that is not competitive and at the moment we are not competitive enough to lure a World Champion,” Wolff told PA in Monaco last week.

“But we have to see how the next months go. Look at McLaren. If we can put four-tenths on the car, we will be very competitive. I have to wait for the moment. There is no urgency.”

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