Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull? Mattia Binotto grilled on potential Audi F1 move

Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto has confirmed that the team is not in negotiations with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, insisting the team is “not yet ready” for a driver of his stature.

Verstappen has once again been linked with a move away from Red Bull in light of the team’s challenging start to the F1 2026 season.

Mattia Binotto: Audi F1 not in the hunt for Max Verstappen

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The four-time world champion was forced to wait until the last round in Canada, the fifth race of the campaign, to register his first podium finish of 2026.

Verstappen has made no secret of his dislike of the F1 2026 rules, warning in Montreal that he will consider his future in the sport if the proposed refinements to the engine regulations for 2027 do not go through.

Despite being officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, it has emerged over recent years that Verstappen’s deal contains an exit clause.

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It has been speculated that the 28-year-old will be free to walk away from Red Bull for 2027 if he is lower than second in the drivers’ championship at the time of the summer break next month.

Verstappen currently occupies seventh in the standings, trailing second-placed George Russell by 45 points with six races remaining in the first half of the season.

Appearing on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Binotto has distanced Audi from a move for Verstappen, conceding that the team is not yet in a position to offer him the winning car he needs.

Binotto also confirmed that Audi’s current drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, are tied to “long-term contracts.”

Asked if Audi is in the frame to potentially secure Verstappen’s signature, Binotto said: “No, we are not. I’m not.

“And the reason why is I think we are not yet ready for it as a team.

“If Max would join, you need to offer him a platform which is a proper platform where he can fight for victories.

“Maybe it will be even not required in the future, because I’m so happy at the moment with the drivers we’ve got, and let’s see what will be our future.

“But at the moment, we’ve got long-term contracts with our drivers. I’m happy with the current situation.”

Binotto’s comments come after Verstappen’s father Jos was spotted in conversation with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in the paddock at the recent Canadian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was heavily linked with a move to Mercedes last summer before the team opted to retain its current lineup of Russell and Kimi Antonelli, the runaway championship leader.

Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, went on to play down the significance of the meeting between Wolff and Verstappen Sr, hinting the conversation was related to Verstappen’s exploits at the Nürburgring 24 Hours a week earlier.

Mekies said in Canada: “As much as it may sound exciting to see that from the outside, I really don’t think there is any intention in particular behind [it].

“If any of these guys wants to have a chat, it’s going to be a story anyway.

“We speak all the time with Max and with Jos and it’s completely natural that they can have conversations with Toto.

“Max was racing in a Mercedes last week in GT3, so I genuinely don’t think it’s part of a game plan to get a message through.”

In March, Wolff distanced himself from suggestions that Mercedes could renew its interest in Verstappen for 2027, branding the rumours “stupid” and insisting that Mercedes “couldn’t be happier” with its current drivers who have “long-term, multi-year contracts.”

Russell is understood to have signed a one-plus-one deal with Mercedes in October 2025, meaning his hopes of remaining with the team for 2027 hinge on him hitting certain performance targets this season.

Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets during F1’s extended April break, Russell insisted that he will “very likely” hit the metrics required to trigger an automatic extension for 2027.

Mercedes has won each of the five races held so far in 2026.

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