Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has once again tried to put a definitive end to the speculation around Max Verstappen. But based on the reply from Martin Brundle, he may have failed.
Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull until the end of 2028. He also leads the world championship by 69 points, putting him firmly on course to win a fourth consecutive title with the team.
On that basis, few would expect his future to even be up for debate. But Mercedes have nonetheless held out hope of signing him to replace Lewis Hamilton.
Significantly, Verstappen’s contract is believed to feature two exit clauses. The first of those becomes active ahead of the 2026 season, when there will be major changes to the F1 regulations.
The second is tied to the status of Red Bull executive director Helmut Marko. If he leaves the team, then Verstappen will have the option to follow.
Marko has reportedly promised the Dutchman that he’s ready to resign at his command. That effectively gives him full control of his situation, despite his long-term commitment to the Milton Keynes outfit.
Martin Brundle says Mercedes are still ‘hanging around’ for Max Verstappen
During the drivers’ press conference at the Austrian Grand Prix on Thursday (FIA), one journalist directly asked Verstappen whether he’d be racing for Red Bull next year. He said ‘yes’ and indicated that preparations were already underway.
When he faced the media after FP1 on Friday (FIA), Horner said these remarks were ‘pretty resolute’. He accused Toto Wolff of trying to ‘distract’ Red Bull by peddling the Verstappen rumours even though the driver himself has been ‘absolutely consistent’ in his desire to stay.
Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham consequently put it to Brundle that ‘things are sewn up for 2025’, but the pundit remains unconvinced. He maintains that ‘something’s up’ as Mercedes refuse to throw in the towel.
“Well are they [sewn up]?” he said to Pinkham. “The plot thickens, doesn’t it? It does appear that Mercedes-Benz are hanging around waiting to see what happens with Max Verstappen at Red Bull, whether that’s for ‘25 or 2026, time will tell.
“There is apparently a side letter that is an exit clause with Dr Helmut Marko, according to the paddock, should Max want to leave […] Something’s up. But they’re saying he’s going nowhere for next year especially.”
What Naomi Schiff noticed in Verstappen answer about Red Bull future
Brundle’s colleague Naomi Schiff was intrigued by Verstappen’s tone in his answer on Thursday. In her opinion, he sounded hesitant and unsure.
For the 26-year-old to bury the story once and for all, Schiff says he needs to be more emphatic. Mercedes may be holding off on announcing academy driver Kimi Antonelli until it’s 100% clear that Verstappen isn’t an option.
“What still did surprise me though, even though we know Max was poked and prodded by a few people before we got that final answer out of him, it didn’t seem as though he wanted to say yes with a lot of joy or a lot of confidence,” Schiff said. “There was still some sort of hesitation in having to say yes.
“That in itself raises the question – why are you not coming out and just saying ‘yes, absolutely I’m staying with the team next year’?”
While Nico Rosberg retired at the end of 2016, the reigning world champion hasn’t left his team for a rival since 2009, when Jenson Button swapped Brawn (later Mercedes) for McLaren. Outwardly, Verstappen has little incentive to do so.
But there has been a degree of instability behind the scenes at Red Bull, which may have led to the departure of renowned designer Adrian Newey after nearly 20 years. There are also ‘rumours’ that they’re lagging behind in the engine department for 2026, but journalist Peter Windsor has tried to shoot those down.
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