Max Verstappen reflects on his future with Red Bull, cautiously optimistic yet guarded, amidst interest from Mercedes F1 and Aston Martin.
Max Verstappen is pondering his future amidst whispers that Mercedes F1 and Aston Martin are keen to secure his services for 2026. The three-time world champion is expected to remain with Red Bull next year, and he shared insights into what will guide his future decisions.
“First and foremost, one must not make decisions in the heat of the moment. I think that can always backfire. I’m also quite a patient person. I’m not overly stressed or worried,” Verstappen stated.
“Of course, I have a very long relationship with Red Bull, which I value greatly. Loyalty is very important, which is not always the case in Formula 1. That’s just the way it is. But fortunately, I’ve found that, and I believe it’s mutual between the team and me, which is very important.”
The Red Bull engine project for 2026 is frequently cited as a cause for concern, and the Dutchman acknowledges he has some doubts about what Red Bull Powertrains can achieve: “Do key people stay in the team? We have our own engine project, how is that going?”
“I have a lot of faith in it, but you have to be realistic. You’re competing against people who have been building engines for over 100 years, they have a lot of experience. Of course, we’ve hired a lot of people. But I’d rather be in the middle.”
“I don’t want to be too positive or too negative. I stay in the middle, and you have to be patient. There are a lot of things that need to stay together, or come together, for me to be able to assess the future, not just in 2026, but beyond, and that’s fine, I’m patient.”
Verstappen remains cautious about the effectiveness of the future Formula 1 regulations: “It will be very different. A bit slower in terms of lap times in most places. It’s very hard to predict what will happen with the new rules. Is it positive, is it negative?”
“I’m just going to wait and see how it goes. That’s also what happened with the current regulations. I was a bit apprehensive, wondering if it was good or bad. Fortunately, it turned out very well for me in terms of Red Bull’s competitiveness, but you never know with the regulations.”
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Verstappen Balances Hope and Caution on Engine Plans Verstappen Balances Hope and Caution on Engine Plans
