F1: Verstappen 'very happy' at Red Bull; Sainz wants future sorted 'sooner rather than later'

Triple world champion Max Verstappen reiterated on Thursday that he could walk away from Formula One when his Red Bull contract expires in 2028, but insisted he was "very happy" at the team.

The Dutchman won the first two races of the season but he has endured weeks of off-track turbulence at all-conquering Red Bull.

He suggested in Saudi Arabia last month that he would consider leaving if the team parted company with long-term mentor Helmut Marko.

It followed his father Jos Verstappen claiming that Red Bull faced being "torn apart" if team boss Christian Horner remained in his position.

Asked ahead of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix if he would still be with the team next year, Verstappen said: "I'm very happy where I'm at, and we want to keep it that way."

But the 26-year-old was less certain when talking about his post-Red Bull future.

"I have a contract with Red Bull until 2028, after that, I first want to see if I even want to continue," he said.

"That's for me the most important, it's not so much about where. These kinds of things I don't really think about at the moment."

Speaking of the Japanese Grand Prix's Suzuka track, Verstappen said, "It's quite intimidating the first time you drive around the track. Even in the wet, because it's so narrow, if you make a small mistake, you can go off in the grass or the gravel. It just adds a bit more to it," he added.

Carlos Sainz, who is currently racing for Ferrari F1, said Thursday that he aims for his F1 future to be determined "sooner rather than later" as he prepares to leave the team at the end of the season.

The Spaniard, who won the Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago, is to be succeeded by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and does not yet secured a seat for next season.

Sainz said he has been speaking to "pretty much all" the teams in F1 and wants to resolve his future quickly.

"It's a matter of going more into detail and seeing the more realistic options and what are the best options for me and my future," he said.

"The only thing I would say is that it's time now to speed up a bit everything and hopefully we can get it sorted out sooner rather than later."

Sainz came back from appendicitis surgery to lead Ferrari to a one-two in Melbourne ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.

Sainz's win in Melbourne came as triple world champion Max Verstappen failed to finish a race for the first time in two years because of a brake issue.

(With input from AFP)