’Billion-dollar’ Verstappen deal talk grows
"The range is between 70 and 90 million per year"
Max Verstappen’s new Red Bull contract is being portrayed as potentially one of the biggest sporting deals ever, although Laurent Mekies has already pushed back on reported salary figures.
Speaking on the Pit Talk podcast, former F1 driver Robert Doornbos said fellow Dutchman Verstappen’s total earnings through 2030 could eventually approach the billion-dollar mark once bonuses and personal sponsorships are included.
"Depending on whether he will be world champion and whether more personal sponsors will be added, for example big deals such as Heineken, more can be paid for," he said.
"Max is up there, in the elite of global sports entrepreneurship. He will be the first Dutch sports billionaire."
Doornbos said Max’s manager Raymond Vermeulen and Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff were the key figures behind the deal.
"He knows what Red Bull is worth and he knows what Max is worth," he said. "Max is worth every penny for Red Bull."
Nico Rosberg has separately suggested a figure of around 80 million euros per season, telling Kolner Express that Verstappen’s value to Red Bull goes well beyond pure driving performance.
"They need stability, so they offer him a bit more money," he said.
"The range is between 70 and 90 million per year, so let’s take 80 million."
Rosberg also believes Verstappen’s reported talks with McLaren were mainly useful as leverage.
"He certainly held negotiations with McLaren, but I think this was only to strengthen his position at Red Bull," said the 2016 world champion.
At Zandvoort, Rosberg put the salary rumour directly to Mekies on Sky.
"What I hear is 80 million a year," he told the Red Bull boss.
"Is that true?"
Mekies smiled and replied that Rosberg was "not correct".
He insisted Verstappen’s decision was instead based primarily on confidence in Red Bull’s technical organisation.
"It’s down really to the trust that Max has in the 2,000 people we have in Milton Keynes, chassis side, PU side."
"He knows what our people are capable of and he has chosen to put his trust in us for the future. He’s much more than just the fastest driver in the world for us."