Verstappen commits to Red Bull – reaction + what next in the F1 driver market?

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1:12Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of F1 Nation, reacting to the news that Max Verstappen has signed a new deal with Red Bull Racing. Max has agreed a two-year contract extension, which will see him remain with the team until the end of 2030 at least. I'm Tom Clarkson and F1 correspondent Lawrence Barreto is with me, not only in the Zandvoort paddock, but we are here in the heart of the Red Bull Energy Station. We'll get your thoughts in a moment, Lawrence, but first let's hear from the man himself on why he's decided to stay with Red Bull long-term. For me, this feels like one big family, you know, so I'm just very happy to be a part of that.

1:57And of course, over the last few months, you know, you talk about the team moving forward, the coming years, plans, ideas. So it's always been communicated to me in a very open way. And that's what I like. And I like what they're trying to achieve. And that's why I also want to be part of it in the future. I always said already back in the day when Dietrich was still alive I said to him my goal and target would be of course to race for Red Bull forever so we are on the good way So there you go, Lawrence, tell us a bit more about the deal and why you think Max has committed his future to Red Bull

2:35Lawrence Barretto:Well it was the biggest willy won't he that we've had in the driver market for what 18 months or so it's all been about what Max is going to do and I think he assessed the market We heard that he talked to McLaren and saw what was there and knew that the door was shut on Mercedes and Ferrari. So I guess what it really came down to is whether or not he believed in the Red Bull project or whether he didn't want to stay in Formula 1 altogether. I think that's really what the decision-making process was for him. And I think Laurent Mechie has spent a lot of time with him to explain his vision, his strategy to get this team back up to World Championship winning capacity.

3:13Lawrence Barretto:and I think he's convinced Max that this is the place to be and I think what is clear is that Max believes in that because he had two years running on the deal originally up to the end of 2028. The fact that he's had an extra two years, that would take him to 15 years with Red Bull. No other drivers have stayed at the same team for that long. I think Lewis Hamilton was Mercedes for 12. And I think that is a pure commitment for Max that Red Bull are not in the place that they want to be but they can get to the place they want to be within that cycle and getting back to winning races. And I think he truly believes that.

3:44Lawrence Barretto:And I think that's why he put pen to paper, not just on a new deal, but this significant deal, which is to the end of 2030. And how important is it to Red Bull? Do you feel that he's now the foundation on which they can rebuild the team effectively because a lot of people have left over the last couple of years? Oh, I think he is the most important piece of this Red Bull puzzle. And I know we often say, you know, that the drivers are important because they go get the results. but I think Max is so much more than a driver. He obviously goes and gets the job done when he's out on track but I think the influence he has within this team from senior management level down to everyone else who's working tooth and nail to get this car to go fast, I think he's got a massive influence there and I think by getting Max to commit and believe in that project, they will all believe that this project can get back to the front.

4:33Lawrence Barretto:The sponsors will. Commercially, it will be good. I think Laurent Mechies can then believe that he's got to not worry about that anymore and can focus on giving Max the best car. It kind of puts the control back in Red Bull's hands because they know now that Max believes in what they want to do and he's now just got to go and do it. At least Laurent can kind of control that aspect of it. And I think it was getting a bit tiresome, frankly, that we were kind of going from one race to another, not knowing whether or not Max was going to commit and would he just commit for 27 and then would he commit for 28.

5:04Lawrence Barretto:And I think to get a four-year deal, and there will always be clauses that you can get out of contracts Max, because that's how Formula One works these days. But I think to get that firm commitment and hear Max talk about this feels like his second family, to get him talking about that future, I think will be super important to Red Bull because like you said, they lost a lot of staff over the last couple of years. Big names have gone, but they've managed to keep what many feel are the best driver in Formula One. And that was no small challenge. So I think that might be the, maybe the fire in the belly that this team needs to get things going again.

5:39Lawrence Barretto:and they might have a number of people who want to join this team who were thinking, I don't know if I want to join if Max isn't going to be here. Maybe they can kind of activate that kind of thing. They might activate renewals on the good people who are already here as well. So I think it puts Red Bull in a really good space now and I think it's the longevity of the deal. I think the fact that there's four more years, that is the most significant, rather than Max just saying, I'm going to stay. Were you surprised by the four years? No, I wasn't surprised because I think in the sense that I think he had a decision to make.

6:08Lawrence Barretto:does he stay or does he go from Formula 1 completely? And I think if he was going to stay, I've only ever known Max to be all in. So I think for him, and he knew how big a project this is, has become now, because Red Bull are the fourth fastest team at the minute. I think he knew it was going to take time. He's a realist and he understands what it takes to win in Formula 1. He's been through a cycle of it already before. And I think the commitment made sense to him because it will get all the right cogs working. As I said, that doesn't mean that he can't leave at some stage if it doesn't work in the next year, two, three.

6:40Lawrence Barretto:But I think for now, that at least allows him to put his full focus on this project. And let's not forget, over at McLaren, they're pretty locked out anyway. And Mercedes, they locked out quite early to activate the clauses in George and Kimi's contract. So they were settled at least for next year, probably for the foreseeable. And Ferrari looked locked out too. So unless another team comes into the mix, where else was he going to go? And I also think there's a lot to be said about like being in the right environment to bring the very best out of you and this team give Max everything he could ever want they let him go race whatever he wants to race outside Formula 1 they probably let him turn up at whatever time he wants to turn up they let him do what he wants to do because they believe and they can see that he is the best and will give everything to deliver and I just don't think you can guarantee that at any other team and I think the belief that he's got in Laurent is critical.

7:38Lawrence Barretto:And I think that is why he's decided to commit to Red Bull. Now, one of his quotes today, he's given a lot of press conferences, was, I was more likely to stop Formula One than go to another team, right? So it makes you wonder, doesn't it? Those conversations with McLaren, those conversations with Mercedes, was it all a negotiation? Or do you think he was serious about those teams? I think he's pragmatic in that I think he knows that Mercedes were chasing him at some point last year. And so I think it made sense at the point in which there was an option there to explore it. But as obviously time has gone on, and particularly with the McLaren negotiations where they're already locked out with Lando and Oscar anyway, that one does feel more like they were using it as a negotiation tactic with Red Bull, that he'd already decided that if he was going to stay, it's going to be with Red Bull.

8:26Lawrence Barretto:So he may as well try and get himself the best deal. But that's just smart business. And I think there would be no driver in this paddock who wouldn't try to do that if they could do that. Max knew that he had the leverage. You know, even when the car isn't performing, he's pulling results out that he shouldn't have done. You know, if results had gone his way, he could have had six podiums in the last seven, you know, if you'd kind of work it out. That's a phenomenal, like, record that he would have had in a car that probably didn't deserve most of those results. So I think that from that perspective, Max knows what he's worth.

8:58Lawrence Barretto:And he knows that he loves racing in Formula One. He knows that he loves winning. and I think he's just trying to be pragmatic and he's built up so much experience, I think, in Formula One over the years. And I think his brain about how the mechanisms work politically on the business side, racing-wise, he understands how it's all working. So he'd have taken that all into account when he decided that actually, you know, staying at Red Bull still, for me, is the best case scenario. Well, and it's a vote of confidence in the sport. Absolutely. Go back to Japan. Do you remember after the Japanese Grand Prix this year, he was full of, I don't know if I want to carry on, you know, perhaps spend more time with my family.

9:37No, I'm not only going to do, fulfill the original contract, I'm staying for four.

9:41Lawrence Barretto:And I also think that I'm pretty sure there's no rush that will ever match a rush of winning a Grand Prix and a Formula 1 World Championship. I think he'll get highs, you know, going off and doing the endurance racing that he's doing. I do think that. but I think when you have to come to that you know the edge of the cliff and you have to decide whether or not you want to leave the sport or not you think slightly differently and I think letting go of this sport this sport that has been his life for so for so long now and probably is what the majority of his life really I think to let go of all of that he would have thought right okay well let's just think about this Red Bull got this plan in place to what we're going to do So Laurent's got this ship kind of sailing in the right direction again.

10:22Lawrence Barretto:I can see what the strategy is, whether or not that's people coming in, facilities improving, whatever that is. And they didn't talk about that today, as you wouldn't expect them to do. I think he's seen all of that. He's put all those pieces together, and that's kind of helped him make that decision. I think that is great for Formula One. Fernando Alonso was asked in the TV pen, is it a good thing that Max is saying? And he was like, yeah, it's super important, because you want the best competed in Formula One. and I think for Max to then commit to the sport is great for Red Bull and it's great for us, I think.

10:52George Russell made a good point in the press conference today. He was asked about it and he said, Max doing all this other racing, the 24 hours of Nürburgring earlier in the year, he said, I can see he loves it. But I think going and doing that also makes you appreciate what Formula One is. Just the level that Formula One is at. So, you know, by Red Bull giving him a bit of head to go and do all that kind of stuff, They've actually, I think, helped in their negotiations to get him to recommit.

11:20Lawrence Barretto:And it's smart because there's not a lot of teams that would allow their drivers to do the kind of thing or the kind of programs that Max is able to do. He's got his own driver development program, hasn't he? He's got his own team. Like, I think he's afforded that, but he doesn't take advantage of it because obviously he comes to a racetrack every race weekend and delivers exactly what you'd expect out of Max for Zappen. But I think you're right, Tom. You make a good point, and George makes a good point, that I think Red Bull have played the game as well as they could in trying to create the best circumstances to make Max want to stay.

11:51You know how in the 50s, Sterling Moss was called Mr. Motor Racing? I think in the 2020s, that's definitely Max Verstappen now, isn't it?

11:59Lawrence Barretto:Oh, absolutely. He would, without doubt, race every single race weekend if he could. I'm pretty sure he's in the sim every day anyway back home. So yeah, he really is the modern 2.0. Sterling Moss 2.0, isn't he? Cadillac has entered Formula One, deepening the racing pedigree behind every V-Series on the road. Discover a line-up that delivers pure adrenaline in the form of modern luxury. Experience the quickest Cadillac ever, the all-electric Lyric V, the peak performance of the CT5V Blackwing, the nimble agility of the Optic V, and the legendary roar of the Escalade V. all engineered to thrill.

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12:57What does this mean for the wider driver market? Because we've all been waiting for this piece in the puzzle, haven't we? Now we know what's happening at Red Bull. What does it mean for the wider paddock?

13:09Lawrence Barretto:Well, I think there were a number of drivers in this paddock who would have wanted to wait just in case there was an opportunity at Red Bull before committing to where they were going to go. Now, I know we saw before the weekend Carlos Sainz committed to Williams on a multi-year deal. He would have been one of a number of drivers who would have just kind of wanted to wait to see whether or not Red Bull were going to have an opportunity for him. But obviously that door shut and he signed for Williams. And I think that will start a domino effect for the rest of the market now because I think that was the last top seat really that was available at the moment based on current performance because obviously the second Red Bull seat is almost certainly going to go to a Hadjar, provided he does a good job or another Red Bull family driver.

13:49Lawrence Barretto:So I think in theory it should unlock the rest of the market. The next key is probably Fernando Alonso, Tom, I think, and whether or not he's going to stay at Aston Martin. Not that he was waiting for the Red Bull seat, but I think he's the next big player because I think the Aston Martin seat is still quite an attractive seat even though they've had such a tough year. And then there's a number of, you know, Audi, you've got Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Botoleta, they've not announced what they're going to do. But I think there's certain other teams that can start solidifying what they fancy for the future.

14:17Carlos re-signing with Williams feels like a slightly smaller version of Max re-signing with Red Bull in that Williams are a team that really needed a driver like him to commit to give the assurances, not only to everyone who's currently in the team, but when they're trying to shop around and get people to join Williams, you need a name like Carlos, don't you?

14:37Lawrence Barretto:He's that perfect example, I think. They were so desperate to keep him. I think you can say that he was desperate because of the job that he's done since he got there. And that's not to put down the job that Alex Albon's done. But if we focus on what Carlos has achieved, you can see the way he's galvanized them. The way the engineers love the way he feeds back. That was his strength at Ferrari. They always loved that aspect of it. And I think for James Fowles, obviously this year has been a bit of a disaster. they've P5 and the constructors last year, they should have stepped on and they haven't.

15:07Lawrence Barretto:For him to be able to convince Carlos, who's highly rated, very well respected and off interest to many teams in this paddock, and convince him not to sign one year, but sign a new deal, which is multi-year, is significant. I think it shows from Carlos's side that he still believes in the vision, that he believes that they can recover from next year. And he believes in the wider project as well and the backing that Dalton Capital, the owners are given. but I think for James it shows that okay he's got two more years now to kind of get this project in shape it buys him a bit more time effectively to kind of get it going and clearly with Alex signing as well they believe that there is potential in this team they saw enough last year to believe that this year's just a blip and they can get it going again in 27 and get it back on the path they were limited in fairness to the options that they had available to them most likely they would have had other midfield options i think and i guess what's the point in doing a sideways step when you know that your boss likes you you know the engineers and like we were talking with max earlier you know the engineers like you you get on really well with them you're on first name turns with them everyone knows how you drive you know there's no new learning i think there is kind of one more chance really isn't it to try and get this project going and there really is i've talked to people in the side that team there is real belief that they're going to get things going again in 27 and this was i agree with you on that point in terms of getting things going again.

16:31But I still think it's remarkable how well the cards have fallen for James Vowles because when he was putting the team together, do you remember he told us on this podcast, actually, how he thought he had the best driver lineup in Formula One, in Carlos and Alex. And despite all the problems of 2026, he's managed to retain both of those guys despite everything that's gone on this year. So there really must be, I think my conclusion is that there really must be some positive things coming for next year and 28 i think it says a lot about

17:02Lawrence Barretto:the the driver's belief in the engineers the mechanics the people that they got working with them it shows a lot of belief in what's coming obviously i think pierce thin started this week in the factory gonna knock that into shape and that's what they really need they've got some others joining as well in the future and i think there's even more coming as well so i think when alex and carlos look at that they can see real potential going forward and providing they don't have those same production delays and they kind of get the design a little bit better next year I think they'll be in a good spot and I think that way they over delivered actually last year probably helped James in a way because I think it showed Alex and Carlos that even when it's not so good they can kind of develop their way out of it so even if there was a blip this year they've seen firsthand what this team is capable of doing so I think that has helped him out but I'm not sure how many chances he'll get so I think he's hopeful that you know 27 will be better and this is the out of something special.

17:56Okay, now look, that's us discussing all the longer term deals in Formula One. Final topic, Lawrence, this weekend, specifically for Zandvoort, we've got changes. Isaac Hadjar is missing the Dutch Grand Prix due to a wrist injury. So Liam Lawson is taking his place at Red Bull Racing with Yuki Tsunoda replacing Lawson in the Racing Bulls. Now, how big an opportunity is it for both of those guys?

18:21Lawrence Barretto:I mean, it's a tough opportunity because is to be parachuted in at a moment's notice. Yuki only found out when he was on the beach in Greece, 36 hours into his holiday a couple of days ago. Liam found out as he was getting off the plane off holiday. And so I think to make this kind of change, even though you're within the Red Bull family, it's huge. For Liam, I think what bodes well is that he's been on such a great run of form. On the mental side of things, he's so much stronger after obviously getting demoted from the Red Bull seat after just two races last year so i think that helps but to go into a new team on a sprint weekend with just one practice session it's going to be really hard for him to kind of show what i think he knows he's now capable of achieving i think on the other side for yuki it's even tougher because he hasn't even driven a 2026 spec car now these cars behave in such a different way we heard firsthand in these first couple of races, even after drivers had testing, how hard it was to get them to do, to get the cars to do what they wanted them to do, to kind of manage the energy management across a lap.

19:30Lawrence Barretto:He's got to do that with just one hour of practice and he's going to nail it in qualifying. He's got to nail it through sprint quality and a second quality and then the Grand Prix. It's going to be so tough, but I think we've got to be pragmatic about it and Red Bull will know this. And to that extent, there's no pressure on either of them really, because they can almost do no wrong because I think Red Bull accept and Racing Bull accept. It's the impossible challenge for these guys. I think what they can do though, on Liam's side, is he can go in and show how much he's changed from the two races that he had with that team last year.

20:01Lawrence Barretto:A lot of the same guys and girls are here at Red Bull. They are going to see a marked difference with what Liam Lawson offers right now and I think that will be significant for him and I think with Yuki, he can come in and if he can show a strong turn of pace, if he can show that he can adapt really well to hey Yuki just talking about you actually well your ears burning say it all good things Yuki hi everyone cheers cheers alright see you later he needs to rest I don't blame you Yuki he's but I think he's in the shop window I was actually talking to him after the TV penny he was just saying look this is perfect timing because it was looking likely that he may never return to Formula 1 there was chat about he might be going to IndyCar you know racing balls already moving on to the next driver and Nicholas Solov sitting waiting in the wings.

20:49Lawrence Barretto:Seats up and down the grid are closing. He was linked at Haas, but that was looking ropey. So I think even the fact he's got this opportunity to be back in people's faces, showing what he's capable of doing, if he does a good job, the engineers are happy and they know that he's done a good job, that kind of intel can be really helpful for him in trying to navigate a seat somewhere else on the grid. And I think you can. It's kind of what you've been saying, but it is a win-win, isn't it? It's a win if they do a great job and it's a win because if they don't do a great job, they can say well what do you expect i've been parachuted in at the last minute and to make matters worse for both of them it looks like we're going to see rain at some point this weekend and we haven't driven these cars in the in a competitive environment at least in in the wet so that's a whole nother aspect to it as well so i think that's the way that they all approach the weekend liam and yuki they've got a lot grand prix underneath their belt they won't i don't think at least they'll be stretching for it i think they'll be trying to be pragmatic about it because it'll be far worse to put the car on the wall or not to get the laps in than it would be to just build your weekend gradually and show the team how professional you are.

21:51Lawrence Barretto:And I have no doubt that that's what both of them will do. Do you think Arvid Lindblad, 11 Grand Prix's under his belt, is a bit disappointed that they didn't look to him to go to Red Bull Racing? Oh, I think he is. But then I think any driver would have been disappointed if they're over. Look, I'm sure Yuki is disappointed he didn't get the Red Bull shot because he's obviously the reserve for Red Bull and racing bulls. but I think obviously I think they were being pragmatic about it Liam's got the most experience so let's put the most experienced driver in the toughest car to drive in the Red Bull and let's try to get the best out of it this weekend and that's why I think they've put Yuki in in that seed as well so I think it kind of does make sense but it might also show that at least you're not trying to rush it like Arvid's doing a really good job this year he's building up nicely it's almost no point like throwing him in and maybe risk damaging that momentum when actually you're building up quite nicely alan permain thinks he's doing a great job um his boss at racing balls i think from that perspective let's just this is probably the best case scenario that they've got to do it but i'd be actually disappointed if arvid wasn't disappointed they'd got overlooked because obviously every racing driver wants that opportunity but we saw with yuki and liam they both wanted that shot of red bull and it didn't quite work out did it when maybe you could argue wasn't the right time for either of them so let's just kind of back the fact that red bull erasible senior management know what they're doing and that this makes the most sense i think in this particular moment and all this happened ladies and gentlemen in one day lawrence you've had a busy one it has been a heck of a day but honestly tom these are the days that i live for like when actual news is broken that we're chasing we're trying to get stories trying to understand the story behind the story.

23:32Lawrence Barretto:This is Formula One back with a massive bang and it is great, but I am, like you said earlier, I'm knackered and I'm looking forward to his sleep. Lawrence, thank you as ever very much for your time. And of course, there's more reaction to Max's new Red Bull deal at f1.com, the F1 app and at F1 on social media. And F1 Nation's full preview of the Dutch Grand Prix is out now with Jolien Palmer and James Hinchcliffe joining me to discuss who can catch Kimi Antonelli in the second half of this wonderful season. That's just below this episode on the F1 Nation feed, and you can watch us on the F1 YouTube channel, so do check that out as well.

24:11And in selected countries, you can watch all the racing in Zandvoort this weekend on F1 TV and on Apple TV in the US. Thank you very much for listening. We will, of course, be back on Monday with our review of this race, so speak to you then. F1 Nation is produced by Formula One and Audioboom Studios.

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