Max Verstappen’s manager reveals the ‘only’ way Red Bull can keep him for the rest of his F1 career

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, has revealed what Red Bull must do in order to keep the four-time world champion from departing for a Formula 1 rival at some point during his career.

Around the time of Christian Horner’s sacking from Red Bull in July, rumours linking Verstappen to an exit from the team were rampant. Following four straight drivers’ championships with the team, cracks started to appear within the set-up at Red Bull, and one of their F1 rivals took note.

Mercedes presented Verstappen with a ‘ballpark’ figure in hopes of swaying him away from Milton Keynes in favour of Brackley to replace one of George Russell or Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

However, the deal was banking on Verstappen triggering a performance clause in his Red Bull contract that would have allowed him to leave the team at the end of 2025 in the case of him being outside of the top three in the F1 standings by the summer break.

The driver has stayed in the third-place spot for the majority of the season, making the clause obsolete and keeping him at the team for at least the 2026 season.

READ MORE: Best moments of Max Verstappen’s F1 career including first pole, podium, win, title and more

Raymond Vermeulen reveals what Red Bull must do to retain Max Verstappen for his whole F1 career

Verstappen doesn’t want to race in F1 into his 40s like the current veterans on the grid, in Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

The Dutchman made his debut at 17 years old and has made his aspirations for racing outside of the category very clear.

His current contract keeps him at the team until the end of the 2028 season, but Verstappen is free to leave Red Bull for 2027 if he isn’t satisfied with the performance of their 2026 car under the new regulations.

Speaking to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Raymond Vermeulen revealed the ‘only’ way in which the Austrian constructor can retain the services of the four-time world champion for the rest of his career in F1.

Following reports earlier in the season that Verstappen wanted out of Red Bull, Verstappen’s manager was asked if there are still some uncertainties heading into 2026, to which he replied, “Yes. Everything can change next year, with the new regulations.

“It’s better to wait and see how the field develops and who’s where. Based on that, you can then plan further. This isn’t new, is it? In 2016, we went from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, and later, engine-wise, from Renault to Honda.

“Those are all moments where you think: what’s going to happen next? These are developments that the three of us – Max, Jos, and I – are constantly monitoring.

“And Max ultimately has the final say. It would be a fantastic story if he drives his entire Formula 1 career for Red Bull. But that will only happen if he has the equipment to win.”

2025 marks his 10th year in F1 with the Milton Keynes-based outfit following the switch from Toro Rosso midway through the 2016 season. Verstappen made history on his Red Bull debut by becoming the youngest ever Grand Prix winner at just 18 years old.

READ MORE: Martin Brundle called Max Verstappen a ‘megastar’ in the making after he did one thing in rookie season

Early signs about Red Bull’s 2026 F1 car point to an exit for Max Verstappen

F1’s new era of regulations in 2026 marks the first time that the constructor is building their very first engine completely in-house through the Ford-backed Red Bull Powertrains division.

However, early benchmark tests suggest that Red Bull’s 2026 engine will be off the pace of their rivals on the grid.

In fact, Ted Kravitz believes Red Bull could struggle as much as Cadillac in their first season as an F1 constructor.

The American team are building a single-seater racing outfit from the ground up, but they are being supplied with engines from Ferrari, which will massively boost their development efforts by not having to do it themselves.

The early signs aren’t looking good for Red Bull’s chances of retaining their star driver for the future following the upcoming season. If their early engine forecasts come to fruition once the cars hit the track for testing in January, we could see Verstappen don some new colours in the following year.