Max Verstappen has always stated that his primary career goal is to drive a car capable of winning races and championships. Because of this, when Red Bull’s competitiveness appeared to dip, many assumed it was almost automatic that Verstappen would switch to Mercedes for the 2026 season. However, this underestimated the strong bond between the world champion and the Milton Keynes team, which would never let its superstar leave for Toto Wolff without resistance, as well as Max Verstappen’s own intentions.
Would it have made sense for Max Verstappen to immediately accept the genuine offer from Mercedes? From a sporting perspective, no one can provide definitive answers at this point. The Dutch driver cannot yet know which team will have the “right” car for the new technical cycle, so a move in 2025—potentially to a less competitive team—would have been a huge risk. It is much wiser to wait 12 months and possibly make a move at the end of 2026, as emphasized by Günther Steiner.
Günther Steiner’s comments
“I’m not surprised by his decision to stay; I think it’s a very strategic choice on his part,” said the South Tyrolean team principal in an interview with web.de. “Max knows that at Red Bull he has the option to leave at the end of 2026. This guarantees him maximum flexibility. If Red Bull remains surprisingly strong, he will already be in the right team. I think they will be among the frontrunners in 2026, but not quite at the top. The gap to the lead will remain.”
“If Mercedes is strong from 2026 onwards, Max will get a multi-year contract,” Günther Steiner added. “Changing teams now with a long-term contract would be riskier.” Some argue that if Mercedes nails the new regulations, they wouldn’t need Verstappen. That may be true, but the new rules are designed—at least in theory—to help teams catch up, avoiding the dominance seen since 2014. Having a superstar like Max Verstappen will therefore be a key asset right from the start, regardless of the hierarchy we see at the beginning of 2026.
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