Max Verstappen’s salary already “on the limit”, as Red Bull negotiates a new contract

Red Bull special adviser Helmut Marko has revealed that Max Verstappen’s salary is already close to the limit of what the team is willing to pay a driver. The team is reportedly in talks with the Dutchman for a new contract after his championship victory with the team last season.

Speaking in a post-season interview with AutoRevue, the Austrian said:

"With (Max) Verstappen, we're already close to the limit. At some point, that's the end. We (Red Bull) will be holding talks with Max in the next few weeks. His manager (Raymond Vermeulen) was difficult to talk to because his son was at the 24-hour race in Dubai together with Jos (Verstappen).”

Verstappen’s current contract with the team reportedly earns him nearly $25 million in base salary per year. In addition to that, the Dutchman earns around $1 million in bonus for every race win, while his championship triumph is understood to have earned him a further $10 million.

Verstappen is currently the second-highest paid driver on the grid, with only Lewis Hamilton earning more. Given that driver salaries are not included in F1’s budget cap, the newly-crowned world champion might demand far higher pay for his services.

Helmut Marko dismisses claims that Max Verstappen might jump ship to Mercedes in case Lewis Hamilton quits F1

Helmut Marko has dismissed speculation that Max Verstappen might consider leaving Red Bull for Mercedes if Lewis Hamilton decides to retire from F1.

Speaking in a post-season interview with AutoRevue, Marko said:

"I don't think Max (Verstappen) will go there (Mercedes). The events at Silverstone made him less inclined to change sides. And it can't get much more expensive than that!"

Marko is referring to the events that transpired at last year’s British Grand Prix. Verstappen was pitched into a high-speed collision with the barriers after making contact with Hamilton and was briefly hospitalized. Meanwhile, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton celebrated their victory, despite Max Verstappen undergoing medical care.

Marko added:

"We always told him openly what our plans were when we started working with Honda. He is also informed about other developments. Even though we saw that we certainly weren't going to win a World Championship with the Renault engine, he stood by the team That's why I believe his statements that he feels very comfortable with us."

Although Mercedes were interested in signing Max Verstappen during his junior formula, the Dutchman has been retained by the Red Bull camp.

He made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso back in 2015. After winning the championship last season, Verstappen claimed that he would remain at Red Bull for the rest of his career.