Max Verstappen admitted that he and Red Bull are “not where we want to be” but played down talk of leaving the team. Speculation has been rife that the Dutchman may opt to move to Aston Martin or Mercedes after their slide in performance.
Red Bull no longer have the fastest car on the grid and Verstappen cares little aside from competing for championships. If there is a greater chance of adding to his trophy cabinet elsewhere, it understandably will be considered. The team’s senior advisor, Helmut Marko, admitted he is concerned Verstappen will jump ship and there is a clause in his contract related to the team’s performance, which would allow him to leave.
But the driver played down such speculation. “People need something to write about. That’s all I can say,” Verstappen said. “And of course, whatever Helmut says… look, I think every driver wants to be in the fastest car – that’s completely normal. But that doesn’t mean you should run away if things don’t go your way.
“We’re still working on solving our problems and we’re not where we want to be yet – but that’s all you can do. You can shout about it, but that doesn’t help. I’m just trying to do my best. It’s very possible that in 2026 we’ll have everything under control, but you can’t always win everything.”
New regulations in 2026 are thought to position Mercedes ahead of their rivals, potentially putting them in pole position for Verstappen if he decides to leave.
But Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s sports director, echoed Verstappen’s comments and is of the opinion that their driver will remain with the team.
“I am convinced that Max will continue the long journey he has made with Red Bull so far with us,” he said. “Max will also drive for us in 2026. It is not without reason that he previously signed a contract until 2028 and he has also recently made his position clear.
“Max once told me that he started his career at Red Bull and that he wanted to finish it there. As far as I know, nothing has changed. We have benefited enormously from Max, the best driver in the world, but the truth is that he also owes a lot to Red Bull.
“Of course we are in a difficult phase, but I don’t have the feeling that Max doubts himself because of it. As long as the mentality is there that we want to build the best car in the world, he will work with us. That is the only way we can be successful again. And we will do that. A long-term partnership also means that you stay together in difficult times.”