'That no-nonsense culture of the Austrians suits Verstappen'
- GPblog.com
Former F1 driver Jan Lammers thinks Max Verstappen's contract extension at Red Bull is only logical. Verstappen will drive at Red Bull until 2028, which means he will be working for the Austrian team for a particularly long time. It could possibly earn him a record.
Lammers calls contract Verstappen logical
As a Red Bull junior, Verstappen entered Formula 1 at the Red Bull subsidiary Toro Rosso. After one year and a few races, the Dutchman moved up a step and replaced Daniil Kvyat at the big team. When the Dutchman has completed his new contract that runs through 2028 he will have driven 13 seasons at Red Bull. The bond has been good since 2016 and in 2021 the first title was taken by the driver with the team. So it seems logical for Verstappen to stay at Red Bull.
Lammers argued this in conversation with the Dutch NOS. The sporting director of the Dutch GP said, "Never change a winning team. It just works. They have a good mutual respect. The no-nonsense culture of the Austrians fits Verstappen well. There is a form of logic in it. If you get along well, why change?" According to the Dutchman, Formula 1 is a very sensitive sport, so it is important for both parties to keep important ties, such as those between Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, intact as much as possible.
Verstappen most loyal driver ever?
Currently, Verstappen has driven 118 races for Red Bull. That's five more than Sebastian Vettel drove for the team. The German did 118 races for Ferrari, though. Therefore, Vettel and Verstappen are in joint 11th place in the list of drivers who drove the most races for one Constructor. Currently, Michael Schumacher holds the record with 180 races with Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton will surpass it this year, as he has currently driven 178 races for Mercedes. With Verstappen's contract, the expectation is that the Dutchman can easily hit the 250-race mark for Red Bull. That could potentially make Verstappen the most loyal driver ever. Of course, Hamilton could possibly add to that in the coming years.