Dutchman Max Verstappen, four-time Formula One world champion, dodged questions about his future on Thursday, insisting he is taking things race by race with his Red Bull team while continuing to work on car development. A year after announcing he would stay with the team until 2026, Verstappen chose not to give any clear answer regarding his future plans. Speaking on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the 11th round of the world championship scheduled for this week, the Dutch driver said: “I feel good, and for my part, when I say there’s nothing to say, it’s because nothing is happening.” He added: “For me, I’m just focused on trying to extract the maximum from the car, and that in itself is complicated enough. That’s what I’m doing. The team is like a second family to me, and of course I want to understand our car a little better and get back on the winning track.” Verstappen, who sits seventh in the drivers’ standings, explained that he feels the team is on an “upward trajectory” and said: “We are still trying to understand the fundamentals of the car.” Verstappen’s contract contains a performance-related clause, believed to allow him to leave if he is not competitive for the title, but in this transitional period of the new “hybrid engine era,” there seem to be no more attractive seats available for him to move to next year. Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren have all indicated they are satisfied with their current drivers and will keep them.