Will Max Verstappen reject Mercedes and remain with Red Bull Racing in 2026? According to former Formula 1 team principal Günther Steiner, there is no doubt about the future of the Dutch driver.
The 2025 Formula 1 season has officially reached its halfway point following the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but the discussions in the paddock are already shifting toward the future. With two more races left before the traditional summer break, the spotlight has turned to the 2026 season—a year that will bring a major regulatory overhaul to the sport.
Amid this atmosphere of uncertainty and significant change, fueled further by the recent leadership shake-ups at Red Bull Racing, speculation has intensified regarding the possibility of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes. However, according to what Günther Steiner told RTL, the reigning World Champion’s future may not be as unclear as it seems.
“In my opinion, Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull Racing even in 2026,” Steiner said. “He will first observe which teams are competitive next year and which are not, because right now everything is an unknown. Signing a long-term deal with another team at this stage would be far too risky.”
A Strong Bond Between Verstappen and Red Bull Remains
Max Verstappen’s current contract with Red Bull is set to expire in 2028, but it is widely known in the paddock that the agreement includes several performance-related clauses. These stipulations would allow the Dutch driver to exit the contract early if the car fails to meet competitive expectations.
“He’ll stay where he is for now and monitor the situation closely,” Steiner continued. “I am certain his contract includes clauses that give him the flexibility to change teams as early as next season if things don’t go the way he expects.”
The South Tyrolean manager emphasized that while it is normal for discussions to be ongoing between elite drivers and top teams, he does not believe Verstappen is likely to make any hasty or impulsive decisions: “The best teams always want the best drivers, and likewise, the best drivers always want to be in the best teams. But at this moment, making a switch would be too much of a gamble.”
Instability at Red Bull but Max Verstappen Stays Focused
Despite the recent internal instability at Red Bull—marked by the departure of key technical figure Adrian Newey and the controversial dismissal of long-standing Team Principal Christian Horner—Max Verstappen has continued to express satisfaction with the Austrian team. These high-profile exits could be seen as warning signs for the Dutch driver, but according to Steiner, they are not (yet) significant enough to make him leave the team where he has built his legacy.
“He’s still happy where he is,” Steiner pointed out. “Before making any drastic decisions, Max will want to evaluate how the technical and sporting side of Red Bull evolves in the coming months.”
With the new engine regulations and chassis changes set to revolutionize Formula 1 in 2026, Verstappen is expected to carefully assess the competitiveness of the Red Bull RB22 project before taking any career-altering steps. Given his current dominance and the strong track record of the Red Bull Racing organization, any decision will be calculated with championship potential and long-term vision in mind.
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