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The biggest uncertainty around the 2027 Formula 1 driver market was settled on Thursday, as Max Verstappen confirmed he will remain with Red Bull Racing until 2030.

The announcement, made on the eve of his home race at Zandvoort, puts an end to all talk of either retirement or a move to another team. By the time this deal runs its course, Verstappen will have completed an extraordinary 16 consecutive years within the Red Bull set-up, including his rookie Formula 1 campaign in 2015 and the opening part of 2016, when he raced for the then-Scuderia Toro Rosso junior team.

His choice to stay for the long haul reflects faith not only in the Red Bull team and its in-house Ford power unit, but also in Formula 1 itself. Since the beginning of the season, the Dutch driver had openly expressed his dislike for the current cars and their power units, suggesting on several occasions that he may not wish to continue in the sport. However, informal discussions with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and the FIA have helped convince him that the situation will improve in the years ahead.

This long-term commitment is also a major boost for team principal Laurent Mekies, who took over after Christian Horner was dismissed in July last year and has brought in a very different leadership approach—one that Verstappen clearly values.

“For me, being part of this team already for such a long time, of course—it definitely feels like a second family,” the four-time world champion said on Thursday. “We have achieved so much, and we have already shared so many incredible moments together. And then, of course, with Laurent joining last year ... I think from the start, the relationship has been really, really good, very open and transparent. And that is why, from my side as well, making up my mind was really about exactly that—about the future, some strategic decisions, and also what happens within the team. And for me, it feels absolutely right to continue here.”

Verstappen also made it clear that he had always viewed Red Bull as his long-term home. “I always said, and I said this when Dietrich [Mateschitz] was still alive, my goal and target is to finish my career in this team. And I think we are getting closer to that! Of course, there are still a lot of years ahead, but that is still the target, so that is why I am very proud to extend and of course try to get back to the top. We have experienced, of course, a lot of time at the top. That is why I think we are very hungry, of course, to try and get there again.”

In the past, several multiple world champions such as Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have left the teams where they first found major success in search of a fresh challenge and a new environment. When asked by Road & Track whether the sweeping changes at Red Bull had created a similar situation—with figures such as Horner, Adrian Newey and Helmut Marko all departing, effectively making it a different team—Verstappen dismissed that idea.

“You are naming five people out of 2000 or whatever,” he said. “It is proper teamwork—and yes, of course a few names have left, but at the same time, it is still my family. I never felt that desire or need ... to change, just to move to another team and try to win somewhere else. If I feel good within the team here, why should I? Because I know that they do everything for me, and they know that I do everything for them once I am on the track and trying to get the results. So for me, no, it does not feel like that.”

Verstappen said that feeling comfortable was a crucial factor in the way he made his decision. “First of all, you need to feel good where you are. If you are, let us say, in the fastest car but you do not feel well, I do not think that is going to last very long. I feel very good in this team. I believe in the people that we can get back to the top. Time will tell. That is what we are aiming for: I still want to win races; I am hungry to win more. Plus, of course, Red Bull allows me to do things a little bit outside of Formula 1 as well. So it is a big plus, all of it, the whole package. Which I am of course very grateful for.”

Verstappen admitted that, particularly at the beginning of the season, he had doubts about whether he wanted to remain in the sport because he was so frustrated by the 2026 regulations. He confirmed that the possible return of a naturally aspirated V-8 formula—currently expected for 2031, and possibly to be brought forward to 2030—is something that motivates him.

“I have to say, after the first few races, I said to Laurent, ‘Do not come to me with any kind of questions about the future because I do not even know if I want to stay.’ But honestly, we always kept it very open. I love racing, and I think I had a lot of very good discussions with Formula 1, but also with the FIA. And I think we are ... let us say, slowly working towards something that becomes better and better. So also from my side, of course, I adapted; I accept the situation that I think we are all in, and [I am] just trying to make the best of that. And I think also with the year that I signed to, it again opens up the door when, potentially, the V-8s come in, to look at that again as well.”

He then expanded further on the regulations issue. “Personally, of course, I am not happy with it, but at the same time, with the discussions that I have had with Formula 1 and FIA—already trying to make little improvements for next year, and the year after, plus the year that I signed to leaving the door open for a potential V8 return—I am willing to accept that at the moment it is, let us say, not fantastic,” he said. “But I still love racing. I mean, it is still a Formula 1 car, and some tracks are better than others. For sure, we know that in some areas, I think we can improve. So hopefully, over the years, it will get a little bit better.”