Verstappen more worried about fixing Red Bull than about 2026 options
Verstappen acknowledges he will have options on the 2026 driver market, but says his first priority is helping Red Bull get back on top
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen says he is more worried about making sure Red Bull regains its form than thinking about any options he might have to change Formula 1 teams in 2026.
With Verstappen understood to have exit clauses in his current Red Bull deal that runs until 2028, the world champion’s future at the team has been a constant source of speculation this season, in the wake of power struggles behind the scenes and several key staffers on their way out at the Milton Keynes-based squad.
Verstappen was frequently courted by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, especially once Red Bull started struggling for performance, before Mercedes formally committed to young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli last month.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Verstappen hinted at renewed possibilities to change teams in 2026 instead but stressed that he was more concerned with turning Red Bull’s performances around than anything else.
When asked if he enjoyed the fact that he appears to have options for 2026 and beyond, with several teams keeping their options open, Verstappen replied: “Yes, of course, I know it’s possible, but I’m not really thinking about it right now.
“I think at the moment I have enough to worry about with other things we want to do better.
“We will see what happens in the future. At the moment I am not really thinking about it too much, to be honest. But if it doesn’t happen, then so be it. It won’t change my life.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
With Verstappen surely of interest to Aston Martin as well, the team that has recently attracted other key Red Bull members including Rob Marshall, Adrian Newey and Will Courtenay, Red Bull is aware of what it needs to do to let the Dutchman see out of his current deal: provide him with a competitive car.
“Most big drivers have exit clauses in their contract that are performance-related, and so does Max,” Helmut Marko told German outlet RTL/ntv. “So if we can’t give him a car to fight at the front, then it will definitely be something he will think about.”
The biggest variable is 2026’s all-new regulations cycle featuring brand-new car designs and heavily revised power units, which will be a huge opportunity to shuffle the competitive pecking order.
Red Bull in particular has plenty of questions to answer over its first-ever power units designed in-house at Red Bull Powertrains, with input from Ford, as Honda departs to become Aston Martin’s works partner.
But Verstappen doesn’t believe Red Bull’s 2026 form is a bigger enigma than that of its rival teams. “Of course it is [a question mark], but you can say that about everyone,” he said. “It’s a completely new car and engine.
“It’s a question mark for everyone, also for the people who think they are in the best position right now. There’s always the question of whether you really did such a great job and it will stay that way [until the 2026 season starts].”
