Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
It has been confirmed that Max Verstappen will remain a Red Bull Racing driver for the 2026 Formula 1 season, after weeks of rumours that he could leave the team.
Although any hope of a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship is already over for this year, the Dutchman still had some big decisions to make following the sacking of ex-boss Christian Horner.
Red Bull have realigned their vision for the future and will be heading into the 2026 F1 regulations with a new management structure. Laurent Mekies is now at the head of the table.
And his promotion could have been a key reason why Verstappen has enough faith to hang around for longer, despite a negative trajectory over the last 18 months.
Verstappen’s ‘deciding factor’ to choose Red Bull over Mercedes may have been the team’s complete change in direction, according to Ralf Schumacher.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit are aware that they have a lot of work to do, and Verstappen’s candid Red Bull car admission will still be worrying to hear. The RB21 does not suit him.
Helmut Marko criticises Toto Wolff for ‘foolish’ involvement in Max Verstappen talks for 2026
Red Bull convinced Verstappen to reject Mercedes, but there were a number of factors for him to take into consideration.
For starters, there’s no knowing who will be competitive at the start of 2026. He could come to regret any move very quickly.
With the possibility of an exit via a performance clause now gone as well, it would have cost the Silver Arrows a lot to buy him out of his contract.
Speaking to Kronen Zeitung, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff fueled rumours that Verstappen could switch teams.
“That was quite annoying recently [smiles]. Above all, everyone thought they knew better than us what the exit clause looked like. All of that was fueled somewhat by Toto,” he said.
“But it was always clear to me, because it would have been foolish for Max to switch in 2026. Because it’s a blank slate: Nobody knows who has the best engine or the best chassis.
“There are many parameters where things can go wrong. If I were Verstappen, I would also look at that first and then decide.”
Who could be Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate in 2026?
Red Bull have one of just six open seats left for the 2026 season heading into the summer break. Yuki Tsunoda’s future is far from secure.
There’s bound to be a lot of interest in the opening, especially considering that they now have their own power unit and should be a top team still.
Other than Tsunoda, the team only have one real option to promote from within, with rookie Isack Hadjar performing well this year. A return for Liam Lawson feels unlikely.
Externally, there are drivers such as Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon who have ties to the team, but either would need to be bought out of their Williams contracts.
Other than that, it’s hard to see who else might fill the void that the team needs to fill with a blend of experience and speed.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
