Max Verstappen defends talks with rival F1 teams: 'Nothing wrong with that'

Max Verstappen has insisted there was “nothing wrong” with exploring other F1 options before committing to Red Bull.

Earlier this year, the four-time champion's future was in the air amid Red Bull's slip in the pecking order.

After being linked to Mercedes during 2025, this year saw his name associated with a move to McLaren before he penned an extension with Red Bull until at least the end of 2030.

It put an end to any speculation that Verstappen may opt to jump ship in the near future.

But when asked how serious his conversations were with rival teams, Verstappen told BBC Sport: "Of course, any kind of chat you take seriously. 

“They're all very respectful chats. There's nothing wrong with that.

"I felt that staying was, for me, the right choice. You have to follow your heart. 

“I could have run away very early on in my Red Bull career and gone somewhere else to try and win. 

“If you have a little bit of patience, you do end up winning. I feel like that's my approach now as well."

Red Bull has endured a challenging start to the sport's new era under fresh technical regulations.

After 13 rounds, it is yet to take to the top step of the podium, with Verstappen enduring his longest victory drought in eight years.

Nevertheless, the Dutchman insisted he still felt Red Bull was the right option for his future.

"It comes down to also feeling well within a team,” he explained. “This is like a second family to me.

"The belief that you can turn things around, you can build towards hopefully a better future with other people, new people. 

“And at the end of the day, it's not only Formula 1 for me. There are a lot of things that I'm doing next year that Red Bull is involved in as well.

"I feel good here. So this, for me, is the right place to be."