With a long-term contract that in theory committed him to Red Bull until 2028, and another dominant car underneath him, there seemed no reason for the Dutchman to be tempted elsewhere.
But amid the power battle that has erupted within Red Bull for control of the F1 team amid the fallout from the Christian Horner investigation, the situation has changed a lot.
The fears of Verstappen’s father Jos, that Red Bull risks being “torn apart” if Horner remains in place, triggered suggestions of there being doubts about the triple world champion staying long-term if there was no change at the top.
Things then moved in a fresh direction at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when the driver himself warned that he would likely walk if Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko was let go by the squad, amid an ongoing investigation into media leaks.
There was little doubt, based on repeated comments he made over the Jeddah weekend, that his future at Red Bull was only assured if Marko remained a part of it.
“I think I have been very clear that he always has to stay,” said Verstappen about Marko. “Everyone has his own role, which is the way it's always been.
“And, of course, after Dietrich's [Mateschitz] death some of those tasks were split up. I've always indicated that Helmut has to stay for the future, as long as he's alive. I've always been very clear about that, like last year after Qatar. And I hope that doesn't change.”
Source: Autosport