Max Verstappen, Red Bull, F1 future still unclear

Max Verstappen

Verstappen, Red Bull, F1 future still unclear

Max isn't the only one.

Matthew Scott

Sunday 20 October 2019 12:00

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Max Verstappen's Red Bull future beyond 2020 remains up in the air, but the Dutchman says it is the same for drivers up and down the grid.

Delays in getting the rules for 2021 mean very few teams, never mind drivers, are confirmed past the end of next year.

Some drivers, such as Charles Leclerc at Ferrari and Esteban Ocon at Renault, have signed contracts that run into the next Concorde Agreement, but Verstappen joins Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo in only being committed to F1 until the end of the current set of regulations.

As such, it makes determining a future on the grid difficult for the seven-time grand prix-winner.

Asked how long he expects to stay with the team, Verstappen told motorsport.com: "Difficult question. I don't know that either.

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"Of course, I still have a contract for next year, and after that there are also new regulations, which haven't been signed off yet. So actually everybody is dealing with that question of what they are going to do. So I think I'm not the only one in that respect."

Red Bull's struggle to keep pace with Mercedes in the V6 Hybrid era means Verstappen is yet to truly feature in a title race as he approaches the end of his fifth season in F1.

The likes of Hamilton, Vettel and Fernando Alonso had been crowned world champion at similar points in their careers but, with time on his side at just 22 still, Verstappen is backing Red Bull to get back to the top.

"Everybody wants to win, in the end, so you always want to drive for the fastest team. But I believe that we can be there again as a team," he said.

"Of course they have already won four [titles], in a row, and we just started a new partnership with Honda and that just takes some time. That's why the goal should be next year. Then we really have to show it. And then we'll see what happens next."