Helmut Marko makes Max Verstappen future declaration for F1 2026

After all the noise of a move to Mercedes, Max Verstappen will remain a Red Bull driver for F1 2026, at least according to Helmut Marko.

Red Bull’s senior advisor Marko says he can “confirm” that Verstappen will continue to race for the team next season, as sweeping regulation changes come into force.

Max Verstappen stays at Red Bull for F1 2026? Marko says it is confirmed

The rumours that Verstappen could trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract to join Mercedes returned this summer, sparked by George Russell’s claim that “ongoing” talks between Mercedes and Verstappen were influencing his path to a new contract.

As it stands, neither Russell nor rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli are contracted at Mercedes beyond the 2025 campaign.

But according to Marko, the speculation can come to an end, as he declared Verstappen is going nowhere for F1 2026.

“Yes, I can confirm that Max Verstappen will be driving for Red Bull in 2026,” Marko told RTL and sport.de.

PlanetF1.com’s on-the-ground reporter Thomas Maher confirmed at the Belgian Grand Prix that Verstappen was set to remain with Red Bull for F1 2026, with Russell and Antonelli to be confirmed as staying with Mercedes, an announcement to come perhaps before the summer break.

However, it may be a temporary reprieve for Red Bull when it comes to the Verstappen exit rumours.

How F1 2026 is shaping up

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Under contract until the end of 2028, it is believed that the clause in Verstappen’s contract could have been triggered if he sat fourth or lower in the Drivers’ Championship after this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, a scenario which can no longer play out, as Russell – who occupies P4 – is 28 points behind Verstappen with a maximum of 25 available.

But, days before his shock sacking, then Red Bull team boss Christian Horner had hinted F1 2027 is more relevant when it comes to the Verstappen future talk.

New chassis and engine regulations come into force from F1 2026, bringing with it the potential for major changes in the pecking order. The last time that the engine formula changed was in 2014, and it marked the start of eight consecutive Constructors’ title wins for Mercedes, with seven Drivers’ titles won in that time, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg.

Horner, while speaking with Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz at the British Grand Prix, had been asked how he can guarantee Verstappen that there would be no drop in competitiveness for F1 2026, as Red Bull take the plunge of becoming an engine manufacturer for the first time, in partnership with Ford.

He replied: “Absolutely no guarantees for any team or any engine manufacturer that can, hand on heart, say that they are significantly ahead of any other manufacturer.

“Who knows what the pecking order will be.

“I think 2026 represents the biggest regulation change with both chassis and engine in probably the last 50 years of Formula 1.

“Now, Max is probably the most in-demand driver; he’s the best in the world. He is absolutely, unequivocally, the best driver.

“When you think of it objectively, ’26, staying where he is, he’s going to have all those options, you know? It won’t be just with one team. It will be with all of the teams for 2027, and it’s down to us to demonstrate that we’re on the right trajectory, that we’re performing, we’re progressing, and that Red Bull is the right place for him to be longer term.

“His desire, and he’s said it numerous times, is to finish his career in a Red Bull car, from start to finish. And I think if he sees that there is that potential, then I don’t see why that isn’t achievable.

“But of course, he’s also hungry to achieve more wins, more titles, that his talent deserves.

“So I think it’s more about 2027 than perhaps about 2026.”

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