维斯塔潘突然承诺与红牛续约至2030年，原因何在？
马克斯·维斯塔潘在与车队多年猜测和谈判后，重新承诺留在红牛，合同延长至2030年。
经过数月（好吧，其实是数年）的猜测、与其他车队的真正谈判以及考虑退役之后，马克斯·维斯塔潘（维斯塔潘）重新承诺留在红牛车队和一级方程式，签订了一份持续到2030年的合同。
这将轻松使维斯塔潘-红牛成为F1历史上最长车队-车手合作组合，超越刘易斯·汉密尔顿与梅赛德斯的搭档，并树立一个别人很难打破的标杆。
那么，为什么维斯塔潘选择现在重新承诺，在现有合同基础上再延长两年呢？
红牛能够说服维斯塔潘的东西是其中的一部分原因。留在红牛一直是维斯塔潘的首选，但红牛必须给他足够的理由这么做——尤其是在后克里斯蒂安·霍纳（Christian Horner）时代的红牛。
维斯塔潘在谈到车队领队洛朗·梅基斯的到来时解释道：“从一开始，我们的关系就非常、非常好，非常开放和透明。这也是为什么我认为，就我而言，下决心主要就是基于这一点：关于未来，以及车队内部的一些战略决策。
“对我而言，留在这里继续下去感觉完全是对的。我总是说，在迪特里希·马特希茨（Dietrich Mateschitz，红牛联合创始人）还在世的时候我就说过，我的目标和追求就是在这支车队结束我的职业生涯。我们正在逐渐接近这个目标。前面还有很多年的时间，但这依然是目标。”
"这就是为什么我非常自豪能够延长合同，当然，也努力重回巅峰。我们已经多次品尝过站在巅峰的滋味。这就是为什么我认为你会非常渴望再次登上那里。"
梅基斯（Mekies）将这些“战略决策”称为重启红牛获胜周期所需的三大支柱之一。
“如果要想想重新开启那个夺冠周期需要哪些支柱，那么可以说，车手这一环现在已经搞定了，”梅基斯说。
“我们已经说过很多很多次，我们相信我们在米尔顿凯恩斯拥有最优秀的人才，这就是第二根支柱。
“当然，第三根支柱是一系列已经做出的战略决策，我们相信这些决策将给我们带来竞争优势——我指的是我们在米尔顿凯恩斯拥有的许多非常棒的东西，比如[新的]风洞和其他一些秘密。”
梅基斯还补充道，对于红牛来说，第二根支柱的关键在于留住了维斯塔潘：“当你可以宣称世界上最快车手与你同在，对于车队来说他比其他车手更胜一筹，而且他和我们在一起，这就是一个巨大的稳定性因素，也是一个巨大的雄心因素。”
维斯塔潘留在红牛是吸引人才的关键，尤其是车队在过去几年里已经流失了这么多大牌人物。
自2026年规则出台以来，维斯塔潘一直是对其最直言不讳的批评者——这也是他对于是否想留在F1、更不用说留在红牛的巨大不确定性的重要原因。
"我必须说，在最初几场比赛之后，我跟Laurent说过，别拿任何关于未来的问题来找我，因为连我自己都不知道还想不想留下来," 当The 比赛问及他是否真的在质疑自己是否想继续留在F1时，维斯塔潘这样说道。
"但说实话，我们一直保持非常开放的态度。我热爱赛车。而且我觉得我和F1进行了很多非常好的讨论，和FIA也是如此。我认为我们正在慢慢地朝着越来越好的方向努力。
“所以我这边也一样，我做出了调整。我接受了我们目前所处的这种状况，并且只是尽力把它做到最好。
“另外，由于我签到了2030年，这也再次打开了大门，也许当V8引擎可能引入时，可以再次考虑这一点。
维斯塔潘表示，在国际汽联（FIA）做出的赛季中规则调整，以及计划于2027年和2028年进行的转变之后，他“暂时可以接受”这些规则。该转变将把目前名义上内燃机与电池动力各占50%（实际为53比47）的比例最终调整为60比40。
而且，由于V8引擎计划在2031年推出——维斯塔潘支持这一举措——这确实开启了维斯塔潘在新合同之后继续留队驾驶这些赛车的可能性。
维斯塔潘的管理团队在过去一年确实与其他车队进行过认真的洽谈——至少包括迈凯伦和梅赛德斯——但他表示，与转投其他车队相比，他更接近选择退役。
"我从来没有那种仅仅为了改变而改变的想法或需要，比如换到另一支车队、去别的地方尝试夺冠," 维斯塔潘说。
"如果我在这里的车队里感觉良好，我为什么要这么做呢？因为我知道他们会为我竭尽所能，而他们也知道，一旦我踏上赛道去争取成绩，我也会为他们竭尽所能。"
他补充道："我觉得我更接近退役，而不是换车队。"
维斯塔潘在与红牛谈判时拥有巨大的筹码，而与其他车队的洽谈更是增强了这一点。
虽然红牛和维斯塔潘都不会透露确切数字，但这次重新谈判几乎肯定让这位四届世界冠军的银行存款有所增加。
在维斯塔潘上一次续约消息公布之前，有报道称，这份2022年达成、有效期至2028年的合同价值可能达到每年5000万欧元。
同样重要的是，维斯塔潘还保留了红牛给予的自由，可以参加其他类别的比赛，比如过去12个月里他在纽博格林的精彩表现。
"红牛允许我做一些稍微超出F1范围的事情，所以这就像是一个很大的加分项，所有这一切，整个套餐——对此我非常感激，"维斯塔潘说。
因此维斯塔潘的场外活动可以继续下去——所有世界上最顶级的耐力赛都在选项之中——但更大的问题在于，密集到爆满的F1赛历是否允许他这么做。
公布的这份合同将持续到2030年，但并不能百分百保证维斯塔潘会留到那一年——即使他曾表示对那一年可能推出的V8引擎规则感兴趣。
每份合同都有退出条款——包括维斯塔潘之前的协议——没有理由认为这份新合同会有什么不同。
红牛仍然必须兑现其做出的承诺，并确保说服了维斯塔潘的那些“战略决策”得到妥善落实并结出硕果。
梅基斯承认了这一点，他说：“伴随着这份信任而来的是巨大的责任，那就是要在未来几年里不辜负为他提供最好的套件的期望。”
只要他仍然是F1的标杆车手，维斯塔潘就将继续在车手市场中拥有巨大的权力和影响力。维斯塔潘对未来的考量，过去和将来都有能力让整个车手市场的其他部分陷入停滞。
但这项新公告进一步证明，维斯塔潘确实希望在红牛结束自己的F1职业生涯，无论那会是什么时候。
这完全取决于红牛能否给他足够的留下来的理由，而目前来看，它确实做到了这一点。
英文原文
After months (well, years) of speculation, genuine talks with other teams, and considerations of walking away, Max Verstappen has recommitted to Red Bull and Formula 1 with a deal that lasts until 2030.
That will easily make Verstappen-Red Bull the longest team-driver partnership in F1 history, overtaking Lewis Hamilton-Mercedes and setting a benchmark beyond that, which will be tough for anyone to beat.
So why has Verstappen chosen now to recommit with an additional two years to his existing contract?
What Red Bull's been able to convince Verstappen of is part of the picture. Staying at Red Bull has always been Verstappen's preferred option, but it had to give him enough reasons to do so - particularly in this new post-Christian Horner era of Red Bull.
Verstappen explained of team principal Laurent Mekies' arrival: "From the start, the relationship has been really, really good, very open and transparent. That's why I think also from my side to make up my mind was just about exactly that: about the future, some strategic decisions as well within the team.
"For me, it feels absolutely right to continue here. And I always said, and I said this when Dietrich [Mateschitz, Red Bull co-founder] was still alive, I said, my goal and target is to finish my career in this team. We're getting closer to that. There's still a lot of years ahead, but that's still the target.
"That's why I'm very proud to extend and, of course, try to get back to the top. We have tasted a lot of being on top. That's why I think you are very hungry to try and get there again."
Mekies referred to those "strategic decisions" as one of the three pillars needed to restart Red Bull's winning cycle.
"If one thinks to what are the pillars you need to have in order to open that winning cycle again, well, certainly the driver's side is done now," Mekies said.
"We have been saying many, many times that we trust we have the best talents in Milton Keynes, and that's the second pillar.
"Certainly, the third pillar is the number of strategic decisions that have been made that we trust will give us a competitive advantage - I'm referring to many, many of the fun stuff we have in Milton Keynes with the [new] windtunnel and a few other secrets."
For Red Bull, key to that second pillar was retaining Verstappen too, Mekies added: "When you are able to say that the fastest driver in the world, more than the drivers, for the team he is with us, it's a massive stability element. It's a massive ambition element."
Verstappen staying at Red Bull is key to it attracting personnel, particularly when it's lost so many big names in the last few years.
Verstappen has been the most vocal critic of the 2026 regulations since their introduction - and that was a huge part of his uncertainty about whether he wanted to stay in F1, let alone with Red Bull.
"I have to say, after the first few races, I said to Laurent, don't come to me with any kind of questions about the future, because I don't even know if I want to stay," Verstappen said, when asked by The Race whether he was properly questioning whether he wanted to stay in F1.
"But honestly, we always kept it very open. I love racing. And I think I had a lot of very good discussions with F1, but also with the FIA. And I think we are slowly working towards something that becomes better and better.
"So also from my side, I adapted. I accept the situation that I think we're all in and [I'm] just trying to make the best of that.
"Also with the year that I signed to [2030], it again opens up the door, maybe, when potentially the V8s come in to look at that again as well."
Verstappen said "he can live with" the rules for now after the in-season rule changes the FIA has made and the planned 2027 and 2028 shift that will bring the current notional 50-50 split (53-47 in reality) between internal combustion engine and battery power to 60-40 eventually.
And with V8s planned for 2031 - a move Verstappen supports - it does open up the prospect of Verstappen remaining beyond the new deal to race those cars too.
Verstappen's management team did hold genuine talks with other teams - McLaren and Mercedes at the very least - over the past year, but he claimed he was closer to retiring than a move elsewhere.
"I never felt that desire or need also to change just to change, to another team, to try and win somewhere else," Verstappen said.
"If I feel well within the team here, why should I? Because I know that they do everything for me, and they know that I do everything for them once I'm on the track and trying to get the results."
He added: "I think I was closer to retiring than changing teams."
Verstappen had huge leverage when negotiating with Red Bull, something talks with other teams will have enhanced.
While neither Red Bull nor Verstappen will reveal exact figures, the renegotiation has almost certainly helped the four-time world champion’s bank balance.
Reports in the lead up to the announcement of Verstappen's previous commitment, agreed in 2022 and running through to 2028, suggested that could be worth €50million a year.
And also, importantly, Verstappen's been able to retain the freedom of Red Bull allowing him to race in other categories, like with his Nurburgring exploits over the last 12 months.
"Red Bull allows me to do things also a little bit outside of Formula 1, so it's like a big plus, all of it, the whole package - which I'm very grateful for," Verstappen said.
So Verstappen's extracurricular activities can continue - with all of the world's best endurance races on the table - but the bigger question will be whether the jam-packed F1 calendars will allow it.
The announced deal will last until 2030, but there's not a cast-iron 100% guarantee Verstappen will stay until that year - even if he's expressed interest in the potential arrival of a V8 engine formula from that year.
Every contract has exit clauses - including Verstappen's previous agreement - and there's no reason to suspect this new one will be any different.
Red Bull will still have to deliver on the promises it made and ensure the "strategic decisions" that the team's convinced Verstappen with are properly implemented and bear fruit.
Mekies acknowledged this, saying: "With that trust comes a huge amount of responsibility in living up to being able to give him the best package for the years to come."
For as long as he is F1's benchmark driver, Verstappen will continue to have immense power and influence in the driver market. Verstappen pondering his future has, and will continue to, have the ability to put the whole rest of the driver market on pause.
But this new announcement is further evidence that Verstappen really does want to end his F1 career with Red Bull, whenever that will be.
It's just all about Red Bull giving him enough reasons to stay and, for now, it has done just that.
The Race ·
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