Verstappen pledges loyalty to Red Bull: “The key people are staying”

you look at our last few races where we haven’t particularly been the fastest, I wouldn’t say that with 10 places extra we have a chance of winning,” Max Verstappen admitted ahead of last month’s Belgian Grand Prix. The Dutchman has gone four races without a win: Austria, Great Britain, Hungary and Belgium – figures not seen since the 2020 season.

Even so, the Red Bull driver is 78 points ahead of second-placed Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship. Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley have confirmed that they are leaving the Austrian team. In 2026, there is a change in the regulations in Formula 1, with the introduction of new power units.

Red Bull will partner with Ford to create the engine. Verstappen says: “We have to fight against people who have been making engines for over a hundred years. They have a lot of experience, but of course we have also signed a lot of people.”

Another four years with Red Bull
Verstappen’s contract with the Milton Keynes-based team runs until 2028, but there are rumours of a possible switch of teams for the Dutchman. The 26-year-old told Formula.hu: “I think the most important thing is that you shouldn’t make decisions based on emotions, because that always backfires. I’m a patient person as well, I don’t worry too much about things. Of course, it means a lot and I appreciate that my relationship with the team goes back a long way. Loyalty is very important and I don’t think it’s always there in F1. It is, but luckily in my case it’s a given and I think it’s mutual for us.”