On the face of it, Max Verstappen has no reason to leave Red Bull. Their rivals may have closed in over the past few races, but he remains the overwhelming favourite to win the championship.
Verstappen has won five of this year’s seven Grands Prix to date and he arrived in Monaco with a 48-point lead over Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. He could become just the fifth F1 driver in history to win four straight titles after Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.
But this isn’t the only factor in his decision. There has been instability behind the scenes at the Milton Keynes outfit, with chief technical officer Adrian Newey handing in a shock resignation earlier this month.
Reports have suggested that more senior figures at the team are considering their futures too. If executive director Helmut Marko decides to leave, then he’ll activate an exit clause in Verstappen’s contract.
What’s more, while Red Bull will be the favourites to win the championship in 2025, some of the most significant rule changes in F1’s recent history are on the horizon in 2026. And that could shake up the order at the front.
There are already ‘rumours’ that the Bulls are lagging behind their rivals in the engine department. Verstappen has held talks with Mercedes, who reportedly boast an early advantage with their new-look power unit.
Max Verstappen says it would be ‘incredible’ to finish his career at Red Bull
Despite these concerns, Verstappen has affirmed his commitment to Red Bull in an interview with The Guardian. He’s pleased that the team have reciprocated his ‘loyalty’ so far.
His current contract is due to expire at the end of 2028, but he’s hinted at the possibility of signing an extension. That would open up the ‘amazing’ opportunity to retire as a Red Bull driver.
Verstappen started his career at junior team Toro Rosso in 2015 before graduating to Christian Horner’s squad in the early part of 2016. He’s won more races in their colours (59) than anybody else.
“I am quite a loyal person and it is something that means a lot to me,” he said. “That is what I request from the team and so far that has always been great and that is what I want to keep for a long time.
“It would be amazing to finish my career here at Red Bull. All the years staying basically at one team would be incredible.”
These comments will come as a blow to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. There had been ‘chatter in the paddock’ that Verstappen was potentially eyeing a move away ahead of 2026, but publicly he’s struck a very different tone.
What Red Bull owner thinks of Max Verstappen
Verstappen is perhaps the most coveted driver on the F1 grid right now. Martin Brundle says you’d ‘have to have’ him in a dream team, while Fred Vasseur has been told he’d be ‘bigger than the Pope’ if he brought him to Ferrari.
Much as they may say publicly that no individual is bigger than the team, Red Bull will surely view him as their greatest asset. Highly-rated teammates like Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez haven’t been able to hold a candle to him.
Red Bull’s 49% owner Mark Mateschitz, son of the late Dietrich, rarely attends races. But he did travel to Imola earlier this month, and he loved watching Verstappen hold off Lando Norris in the closing stages.
Mateschitz may well have left the event even more determined to hold onto him. Mercedes have reportedly offered him a ‘world-record contract’, but Red Bull themselves will surely do whatever it takes to fend off the interest from the Silver Arrows.
The post 'What I request': Max Verstappen says he could do something 'incredible' at Red Bull as he discusses F1 future appeared first on F1 Oversteer.