“Not on my mind” - Max Verstappen refuses to think about Red Bull future after F1 title win
"It’s definitely not on my mind. Nothing else is on my mind."
Max Verstappen is refusing to think about his future with Red Bull following his fourth F1 title triumph.
Verstappen secured his fourth world championship with a P5 finish at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Dutchman joins an exclusive club of drivers to have won four consecutive drivers’ championships with Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.
Despite his success over the last four years, his future in F1 - and at Red Bull - has been a recurring talking point.
Mercedes expressed serious interest in signing Verstappen earlier this year, while he’s also ruled out staying into his 40s unlike Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Speaking after his title triumph, Verstappen was asked about his future by Sky Sports.
He replied: “For me, I am just very proud to be part of the team. We’re celebrating our fourth world title together. It’s definitely not on my mind. Nothing else is on my mind”
2024 is arguably Verstappen’s most impressive title victory given that McLaren have had a quicker car since Imola back in May.
The decisive point in the championship came in Brazil where Verstappen delivered a masterclass in wet conditions to take a crucial victory.
Reflecting on his latest title win, he said: “It feels great. It’s been a very long season, many races, many good races but also many tough races. It was all about optimising tracks.
“Of course, sometimes to limit the damage. At the end of the day, just very proud with what we’ve achieved.”
2023 “still my favourite”
Despite the nature of his title victory, 2023 remains Verstappen’s favourite.
Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races last year, winning 10 in a row in the middle of the campaign.
“Every championship is different,” he explained. “Last year is still my favourite one even if sometimes I think some didn’t appreciate it enough what we did achieve. Winning 10 in a row.
“We had a dominant car but I don’t think it was as dominant as people think it was. This one definitely means a lot. How we handled everything.”
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