Ted Kravitz says Max Verstappen’s manager has now taken an ‘unusual’ step amid Red Bull exit rumours

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Max Verstappen took pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday as Red Bull made another step in the right direction. But in the background, doubts persist over his long-term future.

Impressively, Verstappen now has six pole positions this year – more than either of the two McLaren drivers. In customary fashion, he found more grip than anybody else in tricky conditions at the end of a heavily-disrupted qualifying, denying Carlos Sainz a sensational pole for Williams.

It was another session that illustrated his irreplaceable value to Red Bull. Verstappen has committed to the team for 2026, but there are significant doubts as to whether he’ll see out his contract, which runs until 2028.

In an interview before the Azerbaijan GP weekend, Verstappen reiterated that he’d like to stay at Red Bull for the rest of his career. But his manager has subsequently made clear that there are strict conditions.

Ted Kravitz questions Raymond Vermeulen’s ‘unusual’ interview about Max Verstappen’s future

Speaking to a Dutch newspaper, Vermeulen warned Red Bull they would only keep Verstappen if he has ‘the equipment to win’. He hasn’t had the car to challenge for the title this year, and this can’t be allowed to become the norm.

While Sky Sports analyst Ted Kravitz says this isn’t a particularly surprising stance, he feels it’s noteworthy that Vermeulen spoke out at all. He hasn’t seen him address his client’s future in public before.

Kravitz, who was speaking on his ‘Notebook’ show, doubts that team principal Laurent Mekies could have done anything to prevent the interview. Reports have suggested that Red Bull will let Verstappen go for 2027 if they don’t furnish him with an adequately competitive car.

“Is that news? Probably not,” said Kravitz. “Is it new that Raymond Vermeulen is doing an interview with De Telegraaf? Probably. Have I seen an interview with Raymond Vermeulen before about Max Verstappen’s future? No I haven’t, so that is a little bit unusual.

“Is Laurent Mekies okay with that? I guess. Does he have any say about whether he can do it or not? Probably not. That’s the first on-the-record interview I’ve seen about Max Verstappen’s future.”

Raymond Vermeulen says Max Verstappen isn’t the only Mercedes target

Verstappen has become more of a leader at Red Bull since their 20-year team boss Christian Horner was sacked. His early impression of Mekies appears to be positive.

But Mekies knows that this initial promise will count for little if they’re way off the pace in 2026. Red Bull’s engine is reportedly two-tenths off, so they will need to develop quickly.

Theoretically, their rate of improvement should be higher than the established manufacturers because this is their first attempt. If they can persuade Verstappen to stay for the second year of the rules cycle, Mercedes could consider other targets.

Indeed, Vermeulen suggested Toto Wolff is also in touch with Charles Leclerc, who’s no doubt frustrated by Ferrari’s limitations. That, of course, is the other ingredient – Verstappen needs a compelling counter-offer, though one suspects every team on the grid would try to find a place for him.