“I’ve been talking to 20 years with Lewis,” he added. “As I speak with most of the grid who has already driven for me. In Baku we had a discussion and everything started from there. If he signed a contract for every time we speak to each other, it would cost me a fortune.”
Though it is extremely unlikely that Verstappen will leave Red Bull before the 2024 season, Vasseur has cast further doubt over the future of Leclerc and Sainz. He pointed to Hamilton’s long contract negotiations and insisted that there was no rush over extending their contracts.
“We are not in a rush to extend the deals but have started discussions. Mercedes did it in August. We are not in a rush at all,” Vasseur told Sky Italy. “This season, I was expecting to do it before the end of the year. But the season was a huge one and we have started the discussion. But, again, we are not in a rush.”
