Helmut Marko makes remarkable admission over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull F1 future

Helmut Marko has admitted Max Verstappen will likely “reconsider” his F1 future if Red Bull aren’t competitive in 2026.

Verstappen’s Red Bull F1 future dominated the headlines for the majority of the season.

The Dutchman was heavily linked with a sensational switch to Mercedes for next year.

There was credence to the rumours as George Russell confirmed in an interview with Sky Sports that talks were ongoing between Mercedes and the Verstappen camp.

It wasn’t until Thursday at the Hungarian Grand Prix where Verstappen categorically confirmed that he would be a Red Bull driver next year.

It came after Red Bull sacked Christian Horner as team principal, potentially suggesting that Verstappen wanted changes behind the scenes to get him to stay.

Verstappen will spearhead Red Bull’s charge in 2026 - the year F1 undergoes one of its biggest rule changes.

Red Bull will run their own engine for the first time, in partnership with Ford.

Given their lack of experience building engines in F1, it’s unlikely Red Bull will start next year challenging for the title.

Verstappen has won the last four consecutive drivers’ titles, stretching back to 2021.

However, Red Bull’s form has dipped over the past 18 months, particularly since Adrian Newey’s departure.

Marko’s Verstappen admission

While Max Verstappen is contracted at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, it’s thought that there was an exit clause in his deal which could have seen him leave the team if he was outside of the top three in the drivers’ championship.

A slow start next year at Red Bull could see Verstappen be centre of the driver market once again.

In an interview with F1-Insider, Marko explained why staying at Red Bull was a “sensible” decision from Verstappen.

“From his statements it was clear that he wanted to stay, and it makes sense, even if the exit clause had become actionable,” Marko said.

“No one knows what the situation will look like in 2026. On the engine side, Mercedes declare themselves the class leader, but there is no proof.

“On the chassis side, you don’t know whether someone will hit the jackpot. So there is a lot of uncertainty and, purely from his perspective, it makes much more sense to stay, look at all of this, and if perhaps we are not competitive next year, then reconsider his decision.

“Max is a very important part of our team. He has achieved his successes with Red Bull Racing; in his Formula 1 career he has only ever driven Red Bull cars, and beyond his driving potential he is simply a very important family member for us.”