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Max Verstappen has insisted that drivers shouldn’t “run away if things don’t go your way” amid persistent speculation over his Red Bull F1 future.
And he believes it is “quite possible” that the team will have resolved their current issues in time for the new regulations in F1 2026.
Max Verstappen: ‘Quite possible’ Red Bull in good shape for F1 2026
Verstappen has been persistently linked with a move away from Red Bull over the last 12 months in light of the team’s competitive decline, with the four-time World Champion limited to a single win so far this season.
Although Verstappen is officially under contract until the end of the F1 2028 season, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed to media including PlanetF1.com last year that the driver’s deal contains a performance-related clause.
It has been speculated that Verstappen will be free to leave Red Bull for F1 2026 if he is lower than third in the Drivers’ Championship after a significant part of this season, with Mercedes and Aston Martin both linked with bids for the four-time World Champion.
And he claimed that Red Bull’s woes could be fixed in time for next season, when the team will produce their own engine for the first time in collaboration with US giants Ford.
He told Dutch media: “People need something to write about. That’s all I can say about it.”
“And of course, whatever Helmut says…look, I think every driver wants to be in the fastest car – that’s completely normal.
“But that doesn’t mean you should run away if things don’t go your way.
“We’re still working on solving our problems and we’re not where we want to be yet – but that’s all you can do.
“You can shout about it, but that doesn’t help. I’m just trying to do my best.
“It’s quite possible that we’ll have everything under control in 2026, but you can’t always win everything.”
Verstappen’s comments come after Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff revealed that he is “convinced” the World Champion will stay with the team for F1 2026, hinting that the 27-year-old has “recently made his position clear.”
