Verstappen F1 contract BOMBSHELL dropped ahead of 2025 return

A major contract bombshell has been dropped ahead of Max Verstappen's return to Formula 1 with Red Bull this season.

The 2025 championship begins with the Australian Grand Prix in less than a month, with reigning champion Verstappen and his fellow stars of the grid taking to the track from March 14 to 16 in Melbourne.

F1 HEADLINES: Max Verstappen in stunning announcement as Lewis Hamilton exit sparks HUGE change

The Dutchman claimed his fourth world championship title in 2024, claiming nine race victories on his way to once again crushing the rest of his rivals.

However, the season was not all plain sailing for the 27-year-old, who suffered a 10-race winless streak in the middle of the season, as McLaren rival Lando Norris became a realistic threat to his crown.

Red Bull could only finish third in the constructors' championship, highlighting the team's mounting problems, and Verstappen will have a new team-mate in 2025 in Liam Lawson, after Sergio Perez has been permanently replaced.

READ MORE: F1 2025 Schedule: Key dates and US start times for EVERY race this season

Verstappen toppled in cost-effective driver debate

Now, new research has shown that Red Bull may be overpaying their star driver, despite the Dutchman's incredible success over the past few seasons.

Data experts OLBG have been comparing the salaries of all of the drivers on the 2024 F1 grid, and have determined their cost-effectiveness based off their performances.

Verstappen ranks sixth in the latest data, with a cost-effectiveness score of just 87 due to his monstrous salary.

2024 championship rival Norris was second on the list after securing four grands prix victories across the season, but it was his McLaren team-mate who outperformed his salary the most.

Oscar Piastri managed to claim two race victories and finish fourth in the drivers' championship, despite only having a base salary of around $5.9 million, almost 10 times less than Verstappen's base salary.

Piastri has recently signed a new contract with McLaren that will see him stay with the team until at least the end of the 2026 season, suggesting he will earn more money from 2025 onwards.

Verstappen's arch-rival Lewis Hamilton finished behind the Dutchman in seventh on the list, following just two race victories in 2024, despite a huge salary in his final season at Mercedes.

READ MORE: Horner drops major Red Bull EXIT statement

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