Red Bull boss Christian Horner admits Max Verstappen’s Exit from the Austrian team will depend upon the team's performance. 2026 is going to be a big year for Formula 1 teams as new regulations will be implemented in Formula 1.
Verstappen's Exit from Red Bull
Max Verstappen's driver's contract in 2026 with Red Bull will depend on Verstappen’s standing in the driver's championship next year. If Max is lower than third place next year Verstappen could exit the Red Bull team. Max has a contract with Red Bull till the 2028 season.
Mercedes and Toto Wolff are looking at signing Max Verstappen for the Mercedes team for the 2026 season and there were also rumours about talks between Jos Verstappen and Toto Wolff. Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli in place of Lewis Hamilton but they also have some interest in signing verstappen for the 2026 season.
Verstappen could also move to the Aston Martin F1 team and reunite with his former design partners Adrian Newey and engine supplier Honda as they will be working with the Silverstone team. As per reports, Verstappen will have the power to exit from the Red Bull team mid-way if he is not competitive enough next year. Red Bull boss Christian Horner admitted that Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract contains a Performance element.
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But Horner believes the Dutchman will be loyal to them until Red Bull provides him with a competitive car. He said “The situation was always clear between ourselves and Max. It's down to us to deliver. We have an agreement until 2028, so it's down to us to deliver. Every contract has a performance element in it.”
Max Verstappen talked about his Red Bull contract and said “That's definitely the intention. I signed a long-term deal with the team and in a perfect world we of course end it here.” The 2026 engine regulations will have a new type of F1 car that uses 50% sustainable fuel and 50% electric. So driver's cards will be reshuffled and we can see many drivers in new teams.
The Red Bull driver is currently fighting for his championship against McLaren's Lando Norris who is 57 points behind the three-time world champion. Red Bull also lost their lead in the constructors championship to the McLaren team.