When it comes to working out certain things, Max Verstappen is not the most shy. Asked about his future during the press conference, ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, the Dutchman wanted to be very clear: he will be a Red Bull driver next year, as stipulated in his contract which runs until 2028 .
“I don’t think that’s the way Formula 1 works, where you can suddenly say, ‘Okay, bye guys!’ That’s not how it works. I have a long contract with the team. I am very happy where I amassures the three-time reigning world champion. And as I said before, we are already focusing on next year with things that we can put in place on the car. So I think that says enough about where I will be driving next year.”
A clarification which comes after several months of uncertainty around his future within the Austrian team. Linked to Red Bull until 2028, the waves caused by the Horner affair at the start of the year, then the uncertainties around the future RBPT-Ford engine for 2026 fueled rumors of departure before the end of his contract. Rumors on which Toto Wolff wanted to speculate in an attempt to lure the Dutchman into his net.
Verstappen focuses on Red Bull
The boss of the Mercedes team – who confirmed that he “would love” to have Verstappen in the Silver Arrows – continues to stir up tensions between Red Bull and its driver to convince the reigning champion to join him from 2025 , replacing Lewis Hamilton. The Austrian is also banking on the return to favor of Mercedes in the last Grands Prix and the increasingly contested domination of Red Bull as mid-season approaches. However, this offensive strategy on the part of the Star brand does not seem to be working…
“I think I already said [que je voulais rester chez Red Bull]. People talk, but the most important thing is that we have a very competitive car for the futuresays Max Verstappen At the moment, of course, it’s very tight, but we are working very well as a team to try to improve things. I’ve already told the team, we are working and we are also focusing on next year to try to be competitive again.”
Still leader of the championship with a large lead over his closest pursuer, Lando Norris (69 points ahead), Max Verstappen is no longer alone at the front: McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes are now serious competitors for victory every weekend. If he still manages to resist, alone against everyone, the Dutchman emphasizes that his current priority is to make Red Bull progress in the face of the return of the other teams. Far from the turmoil of the transfer market, therefore.
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