Verstappen declares Red Bull new team-mate talks 'waste of time'

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has admitted that he found recent discussions about a potential future team-mate a 'waste of time'.

In July, the Dutchman committed his immediate future to Red Bull after rumours of a switch to Mercedes ran riot in the paddock, although a move for 2027 isn't necessarily off the cards.

With the reigning champion locked in to his contract for at least one more season, Red Bull must turn their attention to who will be sitting in the seat alongside their star driver next year.

Though Yuki Tsunoda may have finished in the points at the Dutch GP, that was only the Japanese racer's fourth points-scoring grand prix since being promoted to the main F1 team back in April, and he failed to pick up any more at Monza.

As a result, Red Bull has unfortunately been operating as a one-man team for the majority of the season, and with the new regulations being introduced in 2026, they can't afford to continue running the squad that way.

With Tsunoda unlikely to remain in the seat, Laurent Mekies and Helmut Marko are having to seriously reconsider their options for next year.

Red Bull back to square one over No.2 driver

With Liam Lawson having already tried and failed in Marko's eyes as Verstappen's team-mate, Red Bull are left with RB star Isack Hadjar as a potential candidate for promotion, although suggestions that the squad were interested in a driver from across the pond emerged last month, shocking the paddock.

During the media day press conference at Zandvoort, Verstappen was asked about the rumours regarding the possibility of having four-time champion Alex Palou as his team-mate in 2026, and whether he felt Palou could be the right driver to end the drought of IndyCar stars trying their hand at F1.

Verstappen responded: "It's always so difficult to say. I know Alex already from go-karting times and I think what he is achieving in IndyCar is incredible. I mean, it's so impressive to see, but it's impossible to know how people will do in F1.

"And it's the same question the other way around. How would you do in IndyCar? You have no idea.

"So, for me, it's always a bit of a waste of time to try and debate that.

"I'm just happy to see him do so well in IndyCar and the way he's been dominating."

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