F1 champion Max Verstappen 'will STAY' at Red Bull

Max Verstappen smiling at the camera in Red Bull F1 team kit — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen 'will STAY' at Red Bull

Max Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes in F1

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 25 July 2025 21:27 Updated: 22:54

Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle has confidently stated Max Verstappen will stay at Red Bull for 2026.

Verstappen has been strongly linked with a move to Mercedes for much of the 2025 season, and both Toto Wolff and George Russell have confirmed talks have been ongoing with Verstappen's team over a potential transfer.

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However, Wolff said ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix action this weekend that his 'priority' was to tie down both Russell and Kimi Antonelli for next season, with both drivers currently set to be out of contract at the end of this year as things stand.

It has been Red Bull's lack of performance throughout the last 18 months that has led to the rumours of Verstappen's discontent, with the four-time world champion likely out of contention for this year's title, and Red Bull sat down in fourth in the constructors' championship.

However, there is now a new man at the helm of the Milton Keynes-based outfit, with Laurent Mekies having replaced Christian Horner as team principal, in a move which may well reinvigorate the team.

Max Verstappen has been linked with a Mercedes move throughout 2025

Horner had previously held the role for over 20 years, but was sacked earlier this month, and Brundle believes Verstappen will now get his head down and focus on maximising the team's points for the rest of 2025, and in 2026.

"Max will now stay at the team for next year and then work out where he wants to be in 2026," Brundle said ahead of sprint qualifying.

Fellow Sky Sports presenter Natalie Pinkham then asked: "And you’re sure of that?", before Brundle confidently responded: "Yeah."

Will Verstappen leave Red Bull?

With Wolff's comments ahead of the Belgian GP weekend, it is looking unlikely that Verstappen will be driving for any team other than Red Bull during the 2026 season.

However, questions about the Dutchman's future will surely only intensify as the 2026 season progresses, with a number of teams not having tied their drivers down beyond the end of the first year of new regulations.

On top of this, Red Bull will be producing their own power units from 2026 onwards, after their highly-successful partnership with Honda comes to an end at the end of this year.

If that new powertrain department doesn't deliver the goods during 2026, Verstappen will likely begin to get frustrated and look elsewhere, despite his Red Bull contract due to run until the end of the 2028 season.

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