Max Verstappen has done little to fuel the speculation over his Red Bull future. But it continues to rage in the Formula 1 paddock.
The assumption is that Verstappen can’t be happy at Red Bull in light of the team’s regression. A dominant team at the start of last year, they’ve now won just three of the last 20 Grands Prix.
Verstappen is an outsider in this season’s title race and will remain so unless the FIA’s front-wing clampdown in Spain hurts McLaren significantly and Red Bull’s upgrades have a powerful effect.
It’s true that Verstappen is frustrated with the situation, as any defending champion would be. His prospects for 2026, at least in his current environment, are uncertain as Red Bull debut their first-ever in-house engine.
But the Dutchman hasn’t said that he’ll leave the team unless their results improve. He feels a certain loyalty to their F1 project after an 11-year relationship.
Max Verstappen demolishes rumours of F1 sabbatical
Speaking to De Telegraaf, Verstappen confirmed he wasn’t planning to take a sabbatical. He’s recently had a child with girlfriend Kelly Piquet, but that hasn’t changed his racing plans.
The idea of a year away – one that would allow him to assess the 2026 competitive landscape before returning – hasn’t entered his mind. He intends to see out the term of his current Red Bull contract.
Intriguingly, the BBC’s Andrew Benson attributed the sabbatical story to ‘someone quite close’ to Verstappen, who had volunteered the information without even being asked.
- READ MORE: Max Verstappen confidante hints he could now make remarkable sabbatical decision at Red Bull
It would be inaccurate to say Verstappen wholeheartedly loves F1 – and he certainly isn’t satisfied with missing out on the podium – but he still enjoys it at a fundamental level.
“That’s not true at all,” he said of the sabbatical talk. “There’s no question of that. My intention is to continue in Formula 1 until at least 2028.
“It’s clear that I don’t like everything in this environment, but I do like working with the people around me and the racing itself. Although a fourth place like in Miami is not what I do it for. But it’s still better than coming last.”
Verstappen recently tested a GT car at the Nurburgring and reportedly lapped at a record pace. But if he is to race in another series, it would be in conjunction with his F1 duties.
Max Verstappen asked whether he can ‘100%’ confirm he’s staying at Red Bull
Also in the interview, Verstappen was asked to state definitively that he’d ‘100%’ be racing for Red Bull next year. He stressed his commitment but stopped short of making a promise.
“I’ve always said that to the team,” he said. “That’s the intention. Unless things go really strangely. But [leaving] is not my intention at the moment.”
When it was put to him that this wasn’t a ‘resounding yes’, he said: “Because I want to see how the rest of the season, or at least part of it, goes. That big, decent steps can be taken by the team.
“The upcoming races are very important. Yes, also for my future. I’m not even talking about next year, but in general. I think everyone in the team realises that.”
In a rather bleak assessment, Christian Horner said he’d take a podium at Imola, such is the pace of the McLarens. Perhaps he’s targeting future races to make gains.
Meanwhile, Jos Verstappen has warned that Verstappen’s title bid is doomed unless Red Bull’s updates have the promised impact. After recent tweaks to the floor, they’ve revised the bodywork in Emilia Romagna.
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