Is Max Verstappen unsure of having long term signing with Red Bull?

Max Verstappen might not have a long-term signing with Red Bull. After the loss of McLaren, Red Bull has been under a bit of pressure to get back in a good run. The announcement of Adrian Newey exiting the brand did not help them. A few days after it, McLaren scripted history as they won the first-ever Grand Prix in a long time.

After the loss to McLaren, Max accepted the fact that he lost fair and square. In an ideal case, if Verstappen was going to have a long-term deal with Red Bull, he should have confirmed it. Otherwise, he should have negated the rumors of joining Mercedes. However, neither has he put an end to the rumors of joining Mercedes nor has he revealed anything about a long-term deal with Red Bull.

There are sources that claim a pathbreaking signing of Verstappen to Mercedes. While nothing has been confirmed, the fact that Max has not disregarded the reports during his interactions with reporters does raise eyebrows. There is a major change that is likely to happen in the Formulas in 2026. It might hamper the chances of Red Bull dominating the races in the years to come.

Mercedes to gain the advantage?

Reportedly, the new rules in 2026 will help the brands with better engines. The new rules cycle is set to revolve around the engines, and there is no doubt that Mercedes has one of the best engines in the world. It might be a reason behind Verstappen not nullifying the reports claiming his potential change. If the rules change, Max might well be interested in making a move.

He is still one of the best raiders in the world, and arguably the best. Even after the loss against Norris, he is the favorite to win the upcoming F1 race. In terms of the points, Max is way ahead of everyone. The partnership of Newey and Max helped Red Bull to be the most dominant brand since 2022. But with the new rules, if Max moves to Mercedes, they can gain a bit of an advantage.