The action off the track in Formula 1 is often more dramatic than anything that happens on race day, but the 2024 season has taken things to a new level. F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari at the end of the year, and other drivers are moving between teams at a furious pace. Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen was rumored to be leaving his longtime home at Red Bull for greener pastures at Mercedes, but the Dutch driver recently put those whispers to bed.
At a press conference before the Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen responded to questions about his next move, saying, “I mean, we’re already also working on next year’s car. I think when you’re very focused on that, that means that you’re also driving for the team.”
Speculation and rumors started swirling when news broke that Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey, was departing. Mercedes-AMG team boss Toto Wolff has said that he’d love to have Verstappen in one of his seats, but it was never clear that another team would provide Max with the support and authority that Red Bull has allowed.
Though other teams have improved as the 2024 season has progressed, Red Bull and Verstappen remain the dominant forces on the F1 grid. The Dutchman has won seven of the last ten races and leads the driver’s championship by almost 70 points over the next closest driver, Lando Norris, from McLaren.
[Images: Jay Hirano Photography via Shutterstock]
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