What Verstappen knew about Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new F1 deal

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies have denied that the team's successful Baku upgrade package was used to persuade the Dutchman to sign his recent two-year contract extension. After beginning the season fourth in the pecking order, Red Bull returned to winning form with victories in Malaysia and Singapore. However, Verstappen confirmed that talks focused on the team's long-term vision rather than any specific car improvements ahead of his deal announced at Zandvoort.

Verstappen explained that the upgrades improved the RB22 by making its balance more predictable, allowing him to push the car to its limits. Mekies noted that Red Bull originally doubted the package would close a three-tenths deficit, reiterating that the extension relied on overall confidence in technical directors Pierre Wache and Ben Hodgkinson rather than the Baku update. Both agreed that further development is required for the 2027 car to consistently contend at the front.