Father says Verstappen ’at home’ with Red Bull

Max Verstappen has "every confidence" in Red Bull-Honda after signing on for the next four seasons, according to his father and co-manager Jos.

The Verstappen camp, earlier linked with a move to Mercedes, surprised the F1 world when it was announced a long time in advance this week that the 22-year-old Dutchman will in fact be staying until the end of 2023.

"Red Bull gave Max the opportunity to go to Formula 1 in 2015, so how great would it be to be successful with that team?" Jos Verstappen, himself a former F1 driver, told De Telegraaf newspaper.

Jos, 47, said one of the biggest benefits of the new deal is that it allows his son to now be fully involved in preparations for the sweeping new rules of 2021.

"We know what the team is doing, not only for the coming season, but also for the new cars for 2021," he said.

"It is very good to be involved in that, but the most important thing is that Max feels at home at Red Bull. He has every confidence in them for the coming years."

A key part of the new deal will be the continuing involvement of Honda, even though the Japanese manufacturer is in fact yet to commit to F1 beyond 2021.

"The contact with Honda is very good," Jos Verstappen said. "You can also tell how they regard Max.

"That combination together with Red Bull and Honda is simply very positive."