Verstappen: Leaving Red Bull for 2026 "not my intention at the moment"

Red Bull racer Max Verstappen says he isn’t thinking about jumping ship from the team that has delivered him four consecutive Formula 1 world titles, despite his struggles with the 2025 car. 

Verstappen joined Red Bull from its sister team, Toro Rosso, in 2016 and won his very first race with the Milton Keynes-based outfit. He has since added a further 63 race victories to his tally and picked up four world titles between 2021 and 2024 – all with Red Bull machinery. 

However, after a dominant period with the team, Verstappen is struggling in 2025 with a tricky car and fierce competition from McLaren. Despite this, the Dutchman says he still plans to race with Red Bull in 2026. 

“I've always said that to the team,” Verstappen told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. 

“That's the intention, unless strange things happen. But that [a departure] is not my intention at the moment.”

Verstappen’s remarks went a long way to confirming his commitment to Red Bull, but fell short of an outright “no” to the possibility of a switch in allegiances ahead of F1’s rules shakeup in 2026. 

The Dutchman has already been linked to Aston Martin, where he would follow in the footsteps of ex-Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, as well as a shock switch to Mercedes.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

However, he added that he wasn’t thinking about any potential shakeups at this stage in the 2025 season. “Because first I want to see how the rest of the season – or at least part of it – goes,” the Dutchman told De Telegraaf. “That big, decent steps can be made by the team.

“The next few races are very important. Yes, also for my future. I'm not even necessarily just talking about next year, but in general. I think everyone in the team realises that too.”

While the team Verstappen races for may not be set in stone just yet, despite him holding a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, one thing is for certain: Verstappen isn’t stepping away from F1 any time soon.

In fact, the four-time world champion said that rumours of a sabbatical or break from F1 were “not true in any case.

“There is no question of that, my intention is to last in Formula 1 at least through 2028,” he said. 

“Obviously I don't like everything in this environment, but I do like working with the people around me and the racing itself. Although a fourth place like in Miami is not what I'm doing it for. But it's always better than finishing last.”

Red Bull will be hoping to improve on Verstappen’s fourth-place finish in Miami this weekend in Imola. The team brought a raft of upgrades to the track in Italy with the aim of closing the gap to championship leaders McLaren.

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