F1 News: Max Verstappen 'likely to stay at Red Bull' for 2026

Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Red Bull, McLaren, Montreal, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Max Verstappen 'likely to stay at Red Bull' for 2026

The Dutchman's titles have all come with the same team

By Kerry Violet.

Thursday 24 July 2025 03:00

Max Verstappen looks set to remain with Red Bull for the 2026 season, as speculation over his future appears to be reaching a conclusion.

The Dutchman's contract with the team runs through 2028, but this year's underperformance as well as well-publicised internal strife have seen him linked with teams including Aston Martin and, most recently, Mercedes.

At the Austrian Grand Prix last month, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed that he had enquired about Verstappen's future to see whether a move to the Silver Arrows could be on the cards.

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Nevertheless, an official decision is yet to be announced, with many pinpointing the upcoming summer break as a potential deadline for the 27-year-old to confirm his plans for 2026.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Belgian GP, BBC reporter Andrew Benson has provided an update on the four-time champion's future.

"My sense from little bits of information from here and there is that at this stage Verstappen is more likely to stay at Red Bull than not. But of course that could change," he wrote.

Verstappen Red Bull move would unsettle rivals

It must be said that as things stand, Verstappen's most sensible move would be to stay put with Red Bull for 2026.

He currently sits third in the championship standings behind both McLaren stars with a comeback unlikely to reclaim the drivers' title this season, but that wouldn't take away from the fact that he earned four consecutive drivers' titles and dominated both championships in the past.

As the grid gets to grips with the new regulations next season, Verstappen's best approach may well be to see how the post-Horner era plays out at Red Bull. If Laurent Mekies' leadership is not to his liking, he could easily jump ship for 2027 after the top team has emerged from the regulation change.

The two teams who are already being tipped to benefit from the new regulations are Aston Martin, thanks to the hiring of Adrian Newey, and Mercedes, but if Verstappen wishes to reunite with Newey at Lawrence Stroll's outfit this winter, he faces a major issue.

BBC reporter Benson touched on this in his latest Q&A, writing: "Aston Martin already have two drivers committed for 2026. Fernando Alonso's contract runs out at the end of next season, and Lance Stroll will drive there for as long as he wants. Stroll is the son of the owner, Lawrence Stroll, and the team effectively exists for him.

"That means that if Verstappen were to want to leave Red Bull for Aston Martin, an arrangement would have to be reached with Alonso.

"Given that Alonso gets his first chance to drive an Adrian Newey-designed car next year, the chances of him being especially amenable to that are low. Any pay-off in such circumstances would have to be very large indeed, one can imagine.

"Having said all of that, and while nothing is impossible in F1, and one can always be surprised, there does not seem to be any movement in this direction at the moment."

NASCAR Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes George Russell Aston Martin