Max Verstappen names No 1 trait that he demands from Red Bull

Max Verstappen insists that loyalty is the crucial trait he wants from Red Bull.

The reigning F1 champion is on course to wrap up his fourth consecutive championship this season.

But his future at Red Bull was unexpectedly questioned during the furore around Christian Horner’s investigation, and Mercedes continue to dream of luring Verstappen away.

But he told The Guardian: “I am quite a loyal person and it is something that means a lot to me.

“That is what I request from the team and so far that has always been great and that is what I want to keep for a long time.

“It would be amazing to finish my career here at Red Bull.

“All the years staying basically at one team would be incredible.”

Verstappen has won five out of eight F1 grands prix this season, even if his RB20 is no longer as totally dominant over its rivals as it once appeared to be.

Red Bull have also had to overcome the chaos of the investigation into Horner’s behaviour (he was cleared of wrongdoing), and then criticism from Verstappen’s father Jos about the team principal.

Helmut Marko, a long-time ally of the Verstappens, was linked with an exit which could trigger the star driver to also leave.

“I would rather not have these stories, these things going on within the team,” Verstappen said.

“We just have to deal with it and move on from it.

“I am contracted to the team to do my job, that’s performance, that’s what I am focused on.

“I am not a politician, I am not someone who likes to be political.

“I just focus on the performance with the people around me, try to distract myself from, let’s say, the negative.”

Verstappen remains undoubtedly the best driver in Formula 1 today.

“I have never seen F1 as a job,” he said.

“It all started as a hobby, a passion which became a profession.

“It’s not really a job, of course the driving is what I really love.

“Going on the limit in a fast car is really, really nice. It’s more the things around it that make it feel like a job, the things that are not that enjoyable.”