Despite the many rumors that Max Verstappen would jump ship to Mercedes for 2026 as a result of Red Bull’s poor 2025 performance, the Dutchman has confirmed that he will stay with the team. Although even with this confirmation from him, there is no telling what he will do if Red Bull continue to deliver underwhelming results next year.
As Formula 1 prepares to enter its next era of competition with a completely new rulebook and guidelines, Red Bull are looking much weaker than they have in the past losing loads of key personnel. Many are wondering what happens to Verstappen’s contract if the team fail to give the World Champion a good package next season.
Max Verstappen will not keep waiting around
With Max Verstappen’s odds for winning a 5th straight title shrinking with every weekend, people have started to question Verstappen’s loyalty to Red Bull. If Red bull is unable to deliver a car good enough to win races, the Dutch driver might leave for a different team in 2027.
F1 Insider Drops Bombshell Report On Max Verstappen’s Future With Red Bull
Verstappen’s trainer, Bradley Scanes, has provided a unique insight into the thought process for Max Verstappen and his loyalty to the team.
“The fastest team and Max [Verstappen] will always be linked,” said Scanes. “[…]He won’t give [Red Bull] long, because he’s still a winner. He’s not going to sit around for however long he signs for.”
While Scanes is confident that Verstappen won’t leave the team as easily as some people think, he does outline the fact that there is a point where loyalty ends and the hunger for victory triumphs. Scanes is certain that if Red Bull aren’t looking strong going into 2027, Verstappen will leave the team for a better option as
Where to, if not Red Bull for Verstappen
With the major Regulation changes coming in 2026, there’s a lot of uncertainty on where Red Bull will stand in the pecking order. So if Red Bull cannot manufacture a car that can fight for wins and the title, Verstappen could look elsewhere for 2027. Scanes does emphasize that Verstappen will have ‘the choice of wherever he wants to go.‘
However, Scanes believes that Verstappen won’t be looing for a long contract with another team.
“[If he signs with another team] it probably won’t be that long, because he’s got other interests that he wants to get involved in. However long he signs for, he’s only going to want to win.”
Max Verstappen post-race:
“I’d like to win another 10 championships, but I know I’m not going to be in Formula 1 in 10 years.”
[via @FormulaDirecta]#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/HghgJNZeDf
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 24, 2024
Max has always been straight about the length of his career though. Verstappen is not like Hamilton, Hulkenberg or Alonso who have been driving for over 15 years in Formula 1.
Nevertheless, whether Verstappen is competing in Formula 1 with Red Bull or with one of their rivals from 2027 onwards, we can be sure of one thing — He’ll be fighting his hardest to show the world what he can do in whatever package he has.
