Christian Horner gives one-word answer when asked if Max Verstappen will be racing at Red Bull in 2026

Speculation is growing over whether Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull if their car proves to be uncompetitive in 2025.

Verstappen has won one race out of five so far and only finished on the podium three times, with the RB21 proving to be a tough car to get into a suitable working window for the tyres.

The gulf in points between Verstappen and his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, shows how much the Dutchman has been working wonders in the opening rounds to get a result out of the car.

Red Bull will be hopeful that its upgrades will provide Verstappen with a car that can regularly finish on the podium, given the speculation over his future at the team.

Nelson Piquet believes Verstappen will decide on his Red Bull future midway through 2026, amid rumours that he could activate a clause in his contract if the team does not provide him with a car that keeps him in the top three in the Drivers’ Championship.

When asked recently by The Inside Track whether Verstappen will be racing with the team next year, team principal Christian Horner gave a one-word answer.

Christian Horner confirms Max Verstappen will be racing at Red Bull for 2025

Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but he could activate a performance clause that enables an early exit if the Milton Keynes squad does not meet its targets.

When speaking to the media after the Bahrain GP, Verstappen sounded frustrated with Red Bull after they struggled to finish inside the top five and produced slow pit stops.

Horner did not seem phased by the speculation when discussing Verstappen’s future, answering unequivocally when asked about his position for 2026.

Interviewer: “So he’ll be here driving for Red Bull next season?”

Horner: “Yeah.”

He went on to explain that one thing could ‘raise questions’ with Verstappen’s camp: “He’s got a contract until 2028, of course, if we can’t deliver him a competitive car, inevitably it will raise questions, but he’s absolutely committed.”

• READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Could Max Verstappen leave Red Bull?

Verstappen has not publicly stated that he would like to leave Red Bull, however, his manager Reymond Vermeulen was seen in discussion with Helmut Marko after the Bahrain race.

Ralf Schumacher is convinced Verstappen will leave based on what he has heard about Red Bull behind the scenes, which would be a disaster for the team given their current driver situation.

Liam Lawson only lasted two races at Red Bull before they put him back in Racing Bulls, after he failed to make it out of Q1 in both occasions.

Tsunoda has also struggled to keep up with Verstappen, but is making steady progress by qualifying at least in the top ten places.

Verstappen’s decision will likely hinge on Red Bull’s competitiveness in 2026, given that the team is switching to its own in-house engines produced in conjunction with Ford.