Max Verstappen 'loyalty' verdict issued as Red Bull move broached

Four-time champion Max Verstappen has been handed an F1 loyalty verdict in talks of a move away from the team.

Verstappen was linked with a switch to Mercedes for much of the 2025 season thanks to Red Bull's downturn in form, but the champion finally committed to his current team for the 2026 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Since then, the team appear to have pulled themselves together somewhat, and Verstappen has won successive races in Monza and Baku, putting himself in with a small chance of claiming world championship success.

There are still question marks surrounding his long-term future at the team beyond 2026, however, with Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin rumoured to be among the teams pushing to secure his signature.

Now, former Red Bull racer David Coulthard has said that Verstappen is loyal to Red Bull, but that his loyalty may begin to be tested if Red Bull are not the fastest team once again in 2026.

"There's no black and white answer," Coulthard told Autosport at a More Than Equal event. "It's very personal, isn't it? But I do believe - you know Max, I know Max - I absolutely believe in his integrity, I believe in his loyalty.

"But equally, he's a racing driver. He's not here because it's fun to just go round in circles. He has a commitment to the team. He'll give the team the opportunity to deliver him what they previously delivered him.

"The same group of guys that delivered him a winning car are now delivering him a car that has won this year. So it's not as bad as Ferrari. It's just not a McLaren. And therefore, you know, you don't just jump on the next horse because your own didn't win.

"If it's a struggle, of course he's going to go somewhere else. He's got the right to go somewhere else. And I don't think anyone in the team would be offended by that.

"And I know one thing, Max would go and look them in the eye and say: 'I'm making this decision because of that'. Because he's an honourable guy. He's not someone that just would leave."

Will Red Bull be the best team in 2026?

The unpredictability of 2026 is arguably what caused Verstappen to confirm that he will stay at Red Bull next year following the rumours of a move to Mercedes.

There is no saying which team will master the new regulations that will come into the sport in 2026, meaning Verstappen could have jumped ship this year only to end up at a midfield team.

By staying at Red Bull next season, it gives him a chance to see how all the teams are shaping up amid the regulation changes before likely joining the team who can give him a car capable of challenging for a title in 2027 and beyond.

Of course, that could once again be Red Bull, who made a mockery of the last regulation changes in 2022 and dominated the sport for two full seasons.

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