Senior advisor Helmut Marko is confident that Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull until 2026. He had previously expressed doubts about whether the Dutchman would fulfill his current contract. Several teams are said to have offered enormous sums behind the scenes to secure Verstappen, but according to Marko, he will remain loyal to the team that has already delivered him four titles.
The future of Max Verstappen at Red Bull has been the subject of much speculation this year. Compared to previous years, the team has lost a significant amount of competitiveness. It is widely accepted that Verstappen clinched a new world title last year on his own merit. Meanwhile, Red Bull finished in third place in the constructors’ championship, behind McLaren and Ferrari. In the current season, Verstappen seems to be facing even more challenges. After six races, he is trailing by 32 points behind Oscar Piastri, and 16 points behind Lando Norris.
Although Verstappen has a contract until 2028, we all know – thanks in part to Helmut Marko – that certain exit clauses allow him to terminate the collaboration early. Marko expressed his concerns about a possible departure of Verstappen during the race weekend in Bahrain. However, in an interview with the German BILD, the 82-year-old senior advisor retracted those statements. He believes that the four-time world champion has committed himself to Red Bull at least until 2026.
Verstappen Remains Loyal to Red Bull
When asked about his recent comments on Verstappen, Marko stated: “My concerns have already subsided. Max is loyal and publicly commits to Red Bull. That fits with how I see him at the moment. He is fully focused on his work here. Therefore, I don’t think he even considers a change. On the contrary, I am convinced that Max will also race for Red Bull in 2026. We already discussed the expectations for 2025 before the season. Everyone – including Max – agreed that defending the title is of course the goal, but we cannot assume that it will succeed. We will do everything to achieve this, but no one can expect us to always win.”
Reportedly, several teams have indeed shown interest in Max Verstappen. Mercedes and Aston Martin are currently the main options for the Dutchman. With the new regulations of 2026 in mind, Aston Martin in particular is keen to sign him. There has been media talk of mega contracts that should lure him to Silverstone. “I have also read that, but I don’t think that plays a big role for Verstappen,” Marko concluded. “On the one hand, he does not earn those amounts with us, on the other hand, he just wants to win. Therefore, we have to give him the fastest car. We are working on that – we will come up with upgrades soon.”
