Aug.2 (GMM) Max Verstappen says fans and media should brace for another round of speculation next year, despite the 2026 rumours finally cooling ahead of the summer break.
“If you ask me these question again next year, we’ll have the same speculation again,” the Red Bull driver said in Hungary, after weeks of uncertainty about his long-term future.
Verstappen had been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes, with reports claiming he is now free to leave Red Bull for 2027 regardless of contractual exit clauses.
However, Dr Helmut Marko insists the clause was never likely to be triggered this year.
“I don’t know what considerations he had, personally and with his management,” Marko told Sport1. “But from his statements, it was clear that he wanted to stay.
“Even if the exit clause had been triggered, nobody knows what the situation would look like in 2026. Mercedes claims to be the class leader, but there’s no evidence. With the chassis, too, we don’t know who will win big. There’s a lot of uncertainty.
“From his perspective, it makes much more sense to stay, take a look, and, if we’re not competitive next year, for him to reconsider his decision.”
Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland that Verstappen was smart to wait.
“The 2026 season will definitely be exciting with the new cars and who will succeed in designing a good car,” said the German. “That will, of course, open the door to speculation again – including for Max Verstappen.
“But maybe Red Bull will also succeed in building a good car, and then the speculation will subside. But I believe Toto Wolff won’t give up. If a team can have the best driver in the world – and that’s Verstappen at the moment – then they have to try.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s focus has returned to Red Bull’s form, as McLaren’s dominance increases.
“They’re flying,” he said of McLaren’s pace in Hungary. “My car drives like it’s on ice.”
Former F1 tester Ho-Pin Tung agreed. “I think Max might not have had a particularly good fast lap, but nevertheless, this gap is enormous,” he told Viaplay.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella praised his team’s advantage, especially after Verstappen hailed the orange car’s handling earlier in Hungary.
“The pace and scope of development over the past two years is greater than I experienced at Ferrari during its heyday,” said the Italian. “We set very high goals for 2025 and developed the car very aggressively. This gave us a lead that we were able to increase over the course of the season.”
Marko admits the championship is slipping away. “The sprint win in Spa shows that the potential is there. But the situation has become significantly more difficult, and it takes a lot of optimism to still believe in winning the title,” he said.
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