Red Bull told the Max Verstappen scenario that’s ‘not good for anyone’ after confirming his 2026 plans

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Max Verstappen has confirmed that he is staying at Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season after speaking with Mercedes about a potential move ahead of the new regulations.

The 27-year-old may have a contract with Red Bull through the 2028 term, yet his future still dominated the F1 driver market this year. Verstappen potentially might have quit Red Bull at the end of 2025 had an exit clause in the Dutchman’s terms been available, which it will not.

Verstappen needed to rank fourth or worse in the F1 drivers’ standings at the summer break to earn the right to leave Red Bull. Yet the four-time reigning champion hit the break in third place, sitting 15 points clear of George Russell in fourth but 97 adrift of leader Oscar Piastri.

So, without the option of activating his exit clause, Verstappen confirmed that “I’m staying” at Red Bull in 2026 ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. It put an end to the speculation that the 65-time Grand Prix winner could move to Mercedes ahead of F1’s regulations overhaul.

Red Bull keeping Max Verstappen with an uncompetitive car is ‘not good for anyone’

Team principal Toto Wolff confirmed that Mercedes had held talks with Verstappen about a move for 2026 while waiting to learn if the Red Bull racer’s exit clause would be available. It meant Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are still yet to sign new contracts beyond this year.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

But while Verstappen will now stay at Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season, Robert Doornbos has no doubt that the Dutchman will be on the market next year if the team from Milton Keynes cannot provide him with a winning car under F1’s 2026 aerodynamic and engine regulations.

Ex-Red Bull F1 driver Doornbos also believes it would not be good “for anyone” if they were to force Verstappen to honour the rest of his contract while unable to secure the top prizes. Next year may be a huge reset, not least for Red Bull as they field their first in-house engine.

Doornbos has told Motorsport.com: “Red Bull know better than anyone that if they can no longer provide him with those tools, he’s free to go.

“They’re certainly not going to hold him to his contract for another three years while that car is somewhere in the middle or at the back of the field. That’s not good for anyone.

“So, there’s a lot of pressure, more on the team than on Max, to deliver. And if he can get a better car, it’s only logical that he’ll switch teams. I still think Mercedes can offer him that.”

Max Verstappen staying at Red Bull in 2026 can be an advantage for his long-term future

Verstappen staying with Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season could actually put the Dutchman in the best position to decide his long-term future, even at the expense of any short-term pain next year. Another term in Milton Keynes will let him see which F1 team aces the new rules.

Additionally, Verstappen can leave Red Bull after the 2026 F1 season, as the terms of his exit clause are easier to achieve. While he needed to be fourth or lower in the standings to leave after the 2025 season, Verstappen will only need to be outside of the top two next summer.

Red Bull may fear the possibility that their 2026 F1 rules car will not be fast enough to keep their 44-time polesitter. It is said that the Formula 1 paddock expects Red Bull and Audi will struggle with the 2026 engine rules, with both teams fielding factory units for the first time.