Dutch Lion Max Verstappen hinted staying forever with Red Bull after 'unbelievable' F1 triumph in Abu Dhabi 2021

Red Bull's Max Verstappen admitted that he sees no reason to move away from the team in the future, emphasizing that he is extremely happy with the trust he shares with the team. The two-time world champion has been part of the Red Bull family since he was 16 years old and Verstappen says he would like to keep it this way for another 10-15 years.

As reported by Motorsport, the Dutchman said:

"I think they know I love them. And I hope we can do this for 10/15 years together. There's no reason to change ever. I want to stay with them for the rest of my life. I hope they let me but yeah, it's insane. I'm so happy and also Christian but also Helmut you know, trusting me to be in the team in 2016. Our goal of course was to win this championship and now we have done that."

Describing his 2021 championship as "unbelievable", Max Verstappen added:

"It's unbelievable. I mean, throughout the whole race. I kept fighting. And then of course, that opportunity in the last lap. It's incredible. I'm still having a cramp in my leg! But it's insane. It's insane. I mean, I don't know what to say, these guys here of my team, and of course, Honda as well, they deserve it. I love them so much. And I really, really enjoy working with them already since 2016. But this year has been incredible."

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Max Verstappen can be beaten in 'a perfect year', feels Ferrari's Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz believes that "with a perfect year," it is possible for Ferrari to beat Max Verstappen, especially with a strong first half of the season. The 2022 season started beautifully for the Scuderia with a 1-2 finish in Bahrain, only for the team to start swiftly falling back, allowing Red Bull to take the reigns and eventually bag the championship title.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, the Ferrari driver admitted that Verstappen was simply the strongest in 2022. Sainz said:

“Unfortunately we couldn’t keep up with them (Red Bull). They had a better package and the driver at the moment was better. I think with a perfect year, it is possible to beat Max, and also by improving in the first part of the season and in the races. That’s the target.”

The Spaniard also pointed out that while Max Verstappen and Red Bull essentially "dominated" the 2022 season, their overall pace was not necessarily as superior throughout the year. He said:

“There are possibilities. Red Bull have dominated, but they haven’t been clearly ahead in qualifying or race pace. I don’t feel we’re that far away in terms of development and performance, because for example in Austin I was on pole, we were 1-2, we’re not that far away, we need a little bit more power, a little bit more downforce, and another step more in strategy and race execution. In terms of pure performance, we are not far away.”

Carlos Sainz finished the 2022 F1 season fifth in the drivers' championship, while Ferrari came second overall in the constructors'.