Marko believes Max will remain with Red Bull beyond 2025

Red Bull's sports advisor, Helmut Marko, is convinced that Max Verstappen will continue to drive for them in 2026. The Austrian has already rejected fears that the current world champion could leave the team at the end of this year and points out that he will stay in Milton Keynes during the first year of the new technical rules.

The form of Red Bull since last summer caused certain doubts about Verstappen's future in the team, and it all started back in February 2024 with the Horner affair. Max's talent, confidence and track record make him an extremely desirable driver for any team in Formula 1, and it's no secret that some leaders in the paddock, such as Tott Wolff, have publicly expressed an interest in his services.

Verstappen, after winning his fourth title in a row last year, remained loyal to Red Bull and decided to stay for another season. However, the performance of the RB21 car is not enough to constantly fight with McLaren, and the gap at the Miami Grand Prix was too big for the ambitions of defending the title.

This slump in form for Red Bull, which began last summer, has reignited rumors of Verstappen's possible departure at the end of 2025, which could trigger a performance-based release clause. However, the sports advisor of the Austrian team assures that they are more afraid of the tpm issue because he believes that the Dutch driver will still be with them.

"It's true, but the fears have already disappeared. Max is loyal and publicly committed to Red Bull. That matches what I see now. He's focused on his job here and that's why I don't think he's considering a change; on the contrary. I'm convinced that Max will still drive for Red Bull in 2026," said Marko in an interview with the German Bild.

Goals

The Austrian emphasized that his and Verstappen's goal, before the start of the season, was to win the fifth consecutive title. It is clear that it is not easy to win for years in a row, and the race in Miami confirmed that McLaren is still significantly ahead of them and that the gap to the two drivers from the Woking team has increased significantly.

"Before the season, we talked about our expectations for 2025. Everyone, including Max, agreed that the goal is to defend the title, but we cannot take it for granted. We will do our best, but no one can expect us to win every time. We have to score as many points as possible," concluded Marko.