Max Verstappen is technically under contract at Red Bull until the end of 2028. He signed the deal in early 2022, shortly after winning his first world championship.
At that point, the Red Bull hierarchy would probably have handed him a lifetime agreement if they had the option. But for Verstappen, it was brave to undertake such a long-term commitment.
He proceeded to win the title in dominant fashion in 2022 and 2023, but the future in F1 is unpredictable. Red Bull already slipped to third in the constructors’ standings last year, and this time around, even Verstappen may not be able to drag the car to a championship.
| STAT | VOL. | RANK |
| Races | 214 | 18th |
| Championships | 4 | =4th |
| Wins | 64 | 3rd |
| Pole positions | 42 | 5th |
| Podiums | 115 | 4th |
| Points | 3,110.5 | 2nd |
What’s more, the 2026 regulation changes are looming and predicting a pecking order is largely guesswork. The word in F1 is that Mercedes have an early advantage for next year, potentially increasing their appeal to the Dutchman.
There’s also talk that Red Bull are lagging behind with their new engine, the first they’ve built in-house. Verstappen has an exit clause in his contract allowing him to depart (as early as this year) if the team don’t meet a certain performance threshold, and it was clearly sensible practice to insist on this provision.
Max Verstappen has told Christian Horner he wants to stay for 2026 – on one condition
Mercedes and Aston Martin have been the main protagonists in the pursuit of Verstappen up to this point. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are out of contract at Brackley, which may create an opening, and Aston Martin could be willing to move either Fernando Alonso or Lance Stroll aside.
However, AutoRacer report that Verstappen has ‘already given his word’ to Red Bull boss Christian Horner that he’ll stay until the end of next year. Their preference is to remain loyal to the team who gave him his F1 chance at 17.
Verstappen will only go back on his ‘word’ if Red Bull’s performances sink to an ‘indecent’ level. It’s hard to quantify what exactly that means.
One imagines, though, that he wouldn’t tolerate multiple weekends like Bahrain, where he qualified down in seventh and finished sixth. He’s been in the top four in every other meaningful session this year.
The ‘stupid’ feature of F1 that could push Max Verstappen to an early retirement
In a recent interview, Christian Horner confirmed Verstappen would stay at Red Bull. That would suggest he has indeed received private assurances.
Their hopes of keeping him to the end of his deal and negotiating an extension will depend on two things. The first, naturally, is their performance under the new regulations.
But the second is his appetite to continue in the sport. Observers believe Verstappen dislikes being a Formula 1 driver, much as he loves racing.
Indeed, Timo Glock says the ‘stupid’ overregulation in F1 could drive Verstappen out. He’s accumulated more penalty points than any other driver and had to carry out community service last year for swearing in a press conference.
