Laurent Mekies opens up about Red Bull’s stance on Max Verstappen leaving amid retirement talk

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Laurent Mekies claims there is “no discussion” at Red Bull about the threat that Max Verstappen might now retire from F1 in 2026, despite his revealing remarks in Japan.

Four-time F1 champion Verstappen threw a cat among the pigeons at Suzuka after revealing that he is seriously considering whether he wants to stay on the grid beyond the end of this year. The 28-year-old has become disillusioned with the sport due to the latest engine rules.

Verstappen hates that the battery has become an even more central aspect of the engine, as F1 increased the power split to almost 50/50 with the internal combustion engine (ICE). The Red Bull RB22 is also not the best car in 2026, with Verstappen having major balance issues.

So, after he only qualified P11 for the Japanese Grand Prix, in his first Q2 exit at Suzuka since 2015, Verstappen claimed he must “figure out” his future in F1. He even doubled down after finishing the race in P8, claiming he is asking himself “is it worth it?” to stay in F1 after 2026.

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Laurent Mekies believes Max Verstappen will not retire if F1 changes the engine rules

Yet while reports by Dutch newspapers close to his camp suggest Verstappen is now openly considering retiring from F1 in 2026, team principal Mekies claims Red Bull are not worried that their star driver could walk away in 2026 by breaking out of his contract through 2028.

READ MORE: The five worst moments of Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1

Verstappen will have from August to October to use his release clause if he hits the summer break outside the top two in the F1 drivers’ standings. Yet Mekies is confident that Red Bull face no risk of Verstappen retiring if they give him a fast car and F1 tweaks the engine rules.

Mekies told Beyond The Grid: “I have full confidence that, as a sport, we have the tools to tweak the regulations. So, they are coming back closer to flat-out qualifying, whilst keeping all the positive aspects that we see from the racing we have seen in the first couple of races.

“And I think if we do that, I have every confidence that Max will keep seeing what we all see, is that you still have the best 22 drivers in the world there. You’ll have the fastest car on the planet, and is the most competitive environment and is ultimately a competitor.

“We are not having the retirement talk with Max right now. We are having the hardcore analysis of how to go faster with our car. And he’s passionate about the sport. And he wants to contribute to the sport and to make sure the sport lands in the right place.

“And hence, he’s vocal about the tweaks he thinks we need to do. As a driver, to make sure that he can be flat out in qualifying and to make sure he can have the good racing. And we are not having retirement discussions.

“You need to come to Milton Keynes to see, as we say, the fire behind every door. And you will soon realise why I’m smiling right now, because we don’t think about a driver market in ‘27. We think about getting a fast car.

“And if we get a fast car, there is no discussion about what Max is doing next year, and hence we are focused on that.”

Verstappen is unhappy with how poorly Red Bull have started the 2026 season, on top of his issues with F1’s latest engine regulations. The RB22 was the second-fastest car in qualifying in Australia with Isack Hadjar, but Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was quicker in China as well as Japan.

It is said that Verstappen invited Mekies to fly home with him from China for unprecedented talks about the situation in F1 and at Red Bull. Verstappen saw the flight as a chance to have frank talks with Red Bull bosses about their form, which has left him weighing up his future.

Reports also now suggest that Red Bull could still pay Verstappen £60m not to race in F1 in 2027, with the intention of seeing the Dutchman return in 2028 after a sabbatical. Although, it is said that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is almost certain to try to sign Verstappen for 2027.