Red Bull could still lose Max Verstappen as Helmut Marko explains delicate situation

Helmut Marko has confessed that Max Verstappen could still 'reconsider' his Red Bull future next season if the team does not ace the new technical regulations. The four-time world champion was heavily linked with a switch to Mercedes for the 2026 campaign, but opted to stay put in Milton Keynes.

Verstappen has been driving for Red Bull since early in the 2016 Formula One campaign, and Laurent Mekies' squad have been responsible for delivering all of his 65 Grand Prix victories and four Drivers' Championship titles. However, since extending his championship advantage with a win in Spain last year, he has climbed to the top step of the podium just four times in the last 28 races, all of which were upset triumphs against the expected outcome of the race weekend.

With positive murmurs rumbling in the paddock about Mercedes' 2026 engine programme, it is easy to see why a move would have been tempting for Verstappen. According to Marko, Red Bull are not yet out of the woods, and a weak start to next season could deal the final blow as the Milton Keynes squad look to retain their star driver.

"From his statements, it was clear that he wanted to stay, and it makes sense, even if the exit clause had become actionable," Marko told the F1-Insider podcast. "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."

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

Until 2026, Verstappen will have to accept that his chances of fighting for race victories are all but over. The 27-year-old experienced a tough run of form heading into the summer break, scoring just one point in his last seven outings, and none in his last four.

The underwhelming points return, spearheaded by an unfortunate DNF at the hands of Kimi Antonelli in Austria, and car issues in Silverstone and at the Hungaroring, means that he now trails Drivers' Championship leader Oscar Piastri by 97 points with just 10 Grands Prix remaining.