Max Verstappen harbours 'secret' F1 2026 team desire

Red Bull F1 star Max Verstappen harbours a 'secret' desire to drive for the team in 2026 despite constant questions over his future in the sport.

The four-time champion would no doubt be the hottest signature on the driver market should he decide to leave his current outfit, that is if he doesn't decide to leave the sport altogether before new regulations come in for 2026.

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The Dutchman is currently on the brink of a race ban with 11 penalty points to his name ahead of this weekend's Canadian GP with some among the paddock questioning how much longer Verstappen is willing to put up with the circus of F1.

His current contract with Red Bull runs until 2028 but the team's F1 advisor Helmut Marko confirmed there are clauses within that contract which could see him leave the team prematurely if they cannot provide him with a competitive car.

As reports of Aston Martin's continued interest in the reigning champion persists, Verstappen has a lot to consider over his future.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast 'Backstage Pit Lane', Sky Germany pundit and ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher declared that time is on Verstappen's side as things stand however.

"Max has time. He doesn't have to make a decision about his future now.

"He can wait until before or even after the summer break. After all, he owes a lot to Red Bull. Secretly, he probably wants to stay because Red Bull is like a family to him," Schumacher said.

What is there for Verstappen left at Red Bull?

There is certainly some truth in Schumacher's sentiment and as the brother of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, the German pundit knows what makes a champion tick.

Red Bull is home for Verstappen. It's the team who believed in him enough to grant him his debut in the sport at the 2015 Australian GP, where he became the youngest driver to ever start an F1 race at just 17 years, 5 months, and 13 days old.

Aston Martin may have stolen Adrian Newey, the design legend behind all of Verstappen's championship-winning cars, hence why the temptation to join him at the Silverstone-based outfit is certainly understandable.

However, Red Bull believed in Verstappen, took a risk by promoting him to their main team halfway through his first season and who have ever since, shaped the team around him.

Red Bull's domination in the sport may have been brought to an end by McLaren for now, but Verstappen will either stick it out through the hard times or head off to fulfil his passions outside of F1 rather than put up with the constant rumours about his future in the coming years.

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