Max Verstappen 'at the heart of the F1 project' - Red Bull dismisses exit fears

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has stated that Max Verstappen is "central" to the team's Formula 1 effort, after fresh doubt was cast on both his F1 and Red Bull futures. 

The future of the four-time champion has been a constant source of conversation in the opening months of the season, with Verstappen vocal in his dislike of the new rules. 

But after F1 implemented a number of immediate changes and discussed further alterations for 2027, he confirmed that he now intends to remain in the championship beyond the current campaign. 

However, speaking after a difficult qualifying session where he struggled to get to grips with the Red Bull, the Dutchman made a complete U-turn on this statement, instead listing the conditions required for him to remain in the paddock. 

As to which team this could be with, Verstappen was less forthcoming, something that has raised eyebrows in the paddock, especially after Jos Verstappen, Max's father, was seen talking publicly with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff in the Canadian Grand Prix paddock - an interaction that Mekies has already downplayed.

"We have a very, very strong driver line-up, and the driver choice is not a question that we are asking ourselves right now," Mekies told media, including Crash.net. 

"We have Max, nobody needs to present Max. He is pulling us up through a fairly complicated start to the season. Isack [Hadjar] is doing a very, very good job. He has been dealing extremely well with a complicated car in the first three races, being very close to Max. 

"He had a bit of a more difficult weekend in Miami, but we can see here straight away he’s been in a good rhythm this morning. As far as we are concerned, we are super happy with the two guys behind the wheels."

Speculation that Verstappen could be McLaren-bound began when race engineer Gianpiero Liambiase was poached by the Woking-based team as its chief racing officer. 

Red Bull has stoked rumours that Lambiase is set to replace Andrea Stella in the team principal role, but it is the existing championship-winning relationship with Verstappen that has led to a belief that that pair could reunite in papaya colours. 

"Look, no, I’m not concerned with Max following GP," asserted Mekies. 

"We always have this joke. We are not going to ask Max every week if he’s going to stay. 

"Max is telling us he’s happy at Red Bull. He is involved in every strategic decision we are making. He is at the heart of the project. He is pushing with us and we both want the same thing: getting back to a more competitive package. And he is central to that."