Max Verstappen has firmly declared his intention to remain with Red Bull until his contract concludes in 2028, dismissing speculation linking him to Mercedes and Aston Martin.
The 28-year-old Dutchman endured a challenging 2025 campaign, ultimately falling just two points short of Lando Norris, who claimed his maiden world championship for McLaren.
Speaking to Blick, Verstappen stated: "I'm 28 now and I have a contract with Red Bull until 2028. I want to fulfil that contract. At this point in time, I'm ruling out a change of team."
His commitment comes despite persistent rumours about performance clauses that had cast doubt over his future at the Milton Keynes outfit.
Max Verstappen is reiterated his commitment to Red Bull
|PA
The 2025 season proved tumultuous for Red Bull, marked by significant departures at senior level.
Christian Horner left his position as team principal, whilst technical genius Adrian Newey also departed the organisation.
Verstappen expressed particular sadness at losing Helmut Marko, who stepped down at the season's end: "It's a shame that I won't have my friend and mentor Helmut Marko by my side in 2026. I'll miss him."
Despite the upheaval, Red Bull staged a remarkable recovery during the campaign's latter stages, having trailed by 104 points before mounting their title challenge.
Red Bull have managed an incredible comeback last year but were still beaten to the title by McLaren
| GETTYVerstappen reflected on the turnaround: "In the midst of the turmoil surrounding the change of team boss, no one would have believed we could do it."
Concerns have emerged today, just hours before Red Bull unveils its 2026 challenger alongside Racing Bulls, regarding the readiness of several teams' machinery.
According to reports from F1-Insider, rumours are circulating that Red Bull, Ferrari and Alpine may face difficulties presenting race-ready cars when pre-season testing commences in Barcelona behind closed doors.
However, it should be noted that no evidence currently supports these claims, and none of the three teams have issued any official statement on the matter.
Red Bull finished third in the 2025 constructors' standings, trailing both McLaren and Ferrari, with Verstappen contributing an extraordinary 421 of the team's 451 points.
The forthcoming 2026 regulations have prompted warnings that even elite drivers may face adaptation challenges.
Helmut Marko is a huge miss, Max Verstappen has admitted
| GETTYExperts suggest the sweeping technical changes could favour particular driving styles, potentially reshuffling the competitive order.
One analyst noted: "There is a chance that new regulations could favour a certain type of driver. Lando Norris could benefit from the new car and grow even more as a driver."
Regarding Verstappen specifically, concerns were raised: "Can I see the new regulations not benefiting Max? Yes, because there is a human element to Formula One."
The assessment concluded that leading drivers including Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris will all need to adapt their approaches this year.