Max Verstappen Red Bull F1 contingency plan revealed

Verstappen in the Mexico GP paddock — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen Red Bull F1 contingency plan revealed

Max Verstappen's long-term future at Red Bull is up for debate

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Sunday 11 January 2026 21:00

Max Verstappen's Red Bull F1 future is not set to hamper Ford Racing's involvement in the sport.

Verstappen's long-term future at Red Bull has been called into question in each of the last two seasons, with the Dutchman linked with a move to Mercedes.

2026 is set to be a huge year for Red Bull and Verstappen, with the 28-year-old set to decide his future based on which team has mastered the new regulation changes.

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Red Bull are starting a new era of power unit production alongside Ford Racing from 2026 onwards, and they are being headed up by a new team principal in Laurent Mekies and without key figures such as Helmut Marko and Christian Horner.

Verstappen and Red Bull will hope that they can have a car fast enough for the Dutchman to challenge for the title in 2026, but if they don't then his future could be more rigorously speculated upon.

"Max is an important part of the team, but not to the point where we're saying, 'If he leaves the team, then we're leaving too.' No, we have faith in the team and know that other drivers will arrive in the future."

Will Verstappen leave Red Bull?

Questions about Verstappen's long-term 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 2026.

Time will tell as to whether Red Bull and Mekies can convince the Dutchman to stay during the team's rebuilding phase.

2026 will be the first year in Red Bull history without Horner or Marko, while design legend Adrian Newey recently left the team and ex-sporting director Jonathan Wheatley quit to join Sauber back in 2024.

Mercedes are rumoured to be the team best placed to master the regulation changes, and they have been the team most strongly linked with acquiring Verstappen's services in the last two years.

On top of that, Newey's new team Aston Martin have also been linked with a 2027 swoop for Verstappen, as they look to become a championship-challenging outfit in the future.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen