Verstappen Secures His Future with Red Bull in 2026
Star driver Max Verstappen will remain at Red Bull until 2026, after securing his position in the team after the Belgian Grand Prix. Speculation about a possible departure of Verstappen had increased in recent months, especially with the interest shown by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in signing the world champion. Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but there were clauses that allowed him to leave before that date. To activate that clause, Verstappen had to be in fourth position or below in the championship after the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, after the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen moved away from the possibility of finishing in fourth place, which is currently occupied by George Russell.
Verstappen had already hinted at his continued presence at Red Bull before the Belgian Grand Prix, referring to the dismissal of the former team principal, Christian Horner. The Red Bull company has not yet given an official reason for Horner’s dismissal, but it was widely known in the paddock that he had a conflictual relationship with Verstappen’s father, Jos, and with Helmut Marko, who works as an advisor to the racing team. This situation could generate movements in the drivers’ market, as the uncertainty about Verstappen’s future had created a bottleneck in decisions about the grid. Ironically, Russell seemed to be the most affected by the possible activation of Verstappen’s clause, as he has not yet signed an extension with Mercedes beyond this season. Russell stated that he was “at peace” with the situation and revealed that he had not yet received a contract to sign, suggesting that negotiations between him and Wolff are not at an advanced stage. Russell has previously said that he expected to race for Mercedes next year and has not spoken to any other team. Cadillac has two driver seats to fill for its F1 debut in 2026, while Alpine seems to be evaluating the market to find someone to partner with Pierre Gasly next season. Verstappen spoke about the importance of the remaining races this year to help Red Bull catch up in 2026. “I think it’s also important this year to learn certain things because they will also have an effect on next year,” he said. “Because the cars will be completely different, but there are still things we can work on and also take into next year. So, of course, the engineering and everything, you know, the car design, of course, is underway for next year, but we can still learn a lot this year as well.” Red Bull, now led by Laurent Mekies, is embarking on an unprecedented project next year.“Who still doubted, Max Verstappen will race for Red Bull Racing in 2026. Toto Wolff is now completely sure that he will have to move on next year.”
Der Telegraaf
