F1 champion Max Verstappen in contract BLOW as revelation emerges

A composite image of F1 champion Max Verstappen — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen in contract BLOW as revelation emerges

Max Verstappen has been revealed not to be a cost-effective driver

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 12 February 2025 09:12

Max Verstappen has been handed a huge blow, as a major Red Bull contract revelation has emerged.

The Dutchman claimed his fourth world championship title in 2024, claiming nine race victories on his way to once again crushing the rest of his Formula 1 rivals.

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However, the season was not all plain sailing for the 27-year-old, who suffered a 10-race winless streak in the middle of the season, as McLaren rival Lando Norris became a realistic threat to his crown.

Red Bull could only finish third in the constructors' championship, highlighting the team's mounting problems, and Verstappen will have a new team-mate in 2025 in Liam Lawson, after Sergio Perez was replaced.

Max Verstappen is looking to pick up more trophies in 2025

Max Verstappen is now a four-time world champion

To celebrate Verstappen’s fourth championship, click here to pre-order the official champion cap, as worn by the Red Bull driver following his championship-winning drive in Las Vegas.

Who's the most cost-effective F1 driver?

Now, new research has shown that Red Bull may be overpaying their star driver, despite the Dutchman's incredible success over the past few seasons.

Data experts OLBG have been comparing the salaries of all of the drivers on the 2024 F1 grid, and have determined their cost-effectiveness based off their performances.

Verstappen ranks sixth in the latest data, with a cost-effectiveness score of just 87 due to his monstrous salary.

2024 championship rival Norris was second on the list after securing four grands prix victories across the season, but it was his McLaren team-mate who outperformed his salary the most.

Oscar Piastri managed to claim two race victories and finish fourth in the drivers' championship, despite only having a base salary of around £4.8 million, almost 10 times less than Verstappen's base salary.

Piastri has recently signed a new contract with McLaren that will see him stay with the team until at least the end of the 2026 season, suggesting he will earn more money from 2025 onwards.

Verstappen's arch-rival Lewis Hamilton finished behind the Dutchman in seventh on the list, following just two race victories in 2024, despite a huge salary in his final season at Mercedes.