Max Verstappen confirms his future is that he will remain with Red Bull into the new regulations of F1 in 2026 as he declines the option to join Mercedes, amid swirling rumours suggesting he could pick the Silver Arrows.
Toto Wolff has levied hard for the chance to land the defending world champion for the second successive season, and once again his bid has fallen short as the 27-year-old reaffirms his commitment to Milton Keynes.
That’s despite talk suggesting Mercedes will release a power unit that will be the class of the field, sparking fears of a level of dominance similar to that of 2014 from expert and experienced personnel, such as Adrian Newey.
But the Dutchman is in no mood to gamble and insists he will be staying put for at least one more year, as Verstappen confirms his F1 2026 future is with Red Bull and not Mercedes, despite the recent decision to sack Christian Horner and general un-competitiveness.
“The thing is always that people are waffling so much throughout the whole season,” Verstappen said to Sky Sports F1. “While the only one that actually can or should speak is not speaking.
“That’s me – and I do that on purpose because it makes no sense to start throwing things around, and actually that should be the same for everyone.
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“Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama. But, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year.
“I’m discussing with the team already the plans, the things that we want to change for next year. So that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year.”
Why it makes sense for Verstappen to stay with Red Bull in F1 2026
With Mercedes expected to debut the class-of-the-field power unit, tipped to be ahead of the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull-Ford, Honda and Audi, many expected the defending champion to make the switch that would protect his ability to dominate the sport.
Particularly considering Red Bull’s struggles politically, as well as their on-track issues with the RB21, that have helped allow McLaren to completely leapfrog them and all-but end his run as champion.
For someone with standards as high as the father-of-one, this is thought to be unacceptable and could have prompted him to potentially activate exit clauses in his contract but evidently, he has elected against this call. So why?
Firstly, there is no need to take the risk. His Red Bull contract expires in 2028 whereas a team willing to pay his salary demands, such as Mercedes or Aston Martin, would want a considerably longer commitment.
If he jumps now, and the chosen team doesn’t perform, he could find himself stuck in a situation that isn’t simple to escape from. If the same thing happens with Red Bull, he has to ride it out for an absolute maximum of three seasons before leaving.
That means he can afford to wait to determine his future by seeing how the order shapes up in 2026. If Mercedes do prove to be the class of the field, he could find himself in silver soon enough.
If they do not then, considering he is regarded as the best driver on the grid, he will have his pick of the bunch to land up in the right team to give him the chance to match Juan Manuel Fangio’s number of five Formula 1 world titles.
But remaining at Red Bull is not a bad option. Aside from the past 18 months, his nine-year tenure with the team has been defined by steps forwards; eventually culminating in that historic and record-breaking 2023 campaign in which they won all-but-one race.
Now under the leadership of Laurent Mekies, known for his technical mind and background as an engineer, it’s very possible the team could figure out the chassis and aerodynamic rules better than anyone else.
If that happens, it’s possible that they could be the class of the field and they could go on to be in prime position to fight for wins and championships through 2026 and beyond.
If Verstappen moves to the likes of Aston Martin or Mercedes and they drop the ball, as they did in 2022, then he will find himself having walked out on a team known for its winning identity and drive for success. Therefore, waiting at least one more year is the right thing to do.
