Red Bull Racing boss Helmut Marko said on Monday that Max Verstappen will also drive for the team in 2026. This seems to determine the future of the Dutchman for next season, although he himself has not yet commented.
“I can confirm that Max Verstappen will also drive for Red Bull in 2026,” Marko told the German sports site Sport.de. The rumors about the possible departure of the Dutch driver to Mercedes had already faded somewhat after the F1 weekend at Spa-Franchorchamps.
After the departure of team boss Christian Horner and the arrival of Laurent Mekies, calm seems to have returned to Red Bull. After the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen said that the atmosphere within the team is “very good.”
The chance that Verstappen will remain at Red Bull for at least one more year is therefore high. In 2026, a lot of new rules will come into Formula 1 and a lot will change. Verstappen still has a contract until the end of 2028.
This season Verstappen no longer seems to have a chance of winning the World Championship title. After thirteen races, the Dutchman is 81 points behind leader Oscar Piastri and finished off the podium for the third time in a row in Spa.