Verstappen tells Red Bull what it takes to keep him beyond 2026 — but won't say publicly

Max Verstappen has confirmed that private talks with Red Bull have already established what the team must deliver to retain him beyond 2026, but the four-time world champion declined to spell out those conditions at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend in Spielberg.

“They know, but I don’t need to talk too much about it,” Verstappen said when asked whether he had set specific targets or demands for the team. The remarks came despite Verstappen holding a contract that runs until the end of 2028 — a deal that has not stopped his future becoming one of the paddock’s most persistent storylines in recent months.

Reports of informal conversations between Verstappen’s camp and McLaren surfaced during the Spielberg weekend, though Verstappen dismissed the speculation in his Dutch media session. “It doesn’t do anything for me and I don’t pay any attention to it,” he said. “These days it’s all very easy. With AI, you can Photoshop anything you want.”

His manager Raymond Vermeulen has repeatedly stated that the intention is to stay loyal to Red Bull, but also told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Verstappen “was not born to race in the midfield” — a pointed remark given that the reigning champion currently sits seventh in the drivers’ standings.

The sporting picture, then, is central to any decision. Verstappen described Red Bull’s upgrade package brought to Austria as “crucial” for the team’s direction, and offered cautiously positive first impressions after qualifying. “Most of the upgrades worked well. There are a few things we still need to look at to see whether they can be improved. Overall, I think it was a bit better, although this is obviously a very short lap.”

He was careful not to overstate the progress. “We’re still behind, though, so we have to wait for the coming races to see what it looks like there.”

Team principal Laurent Mekies and technical director Pierre Wache both acknowledged that Red Bull is still in the process of understanding the new package, which contributed to a difficult search for car balance on Friday. The consensus inside the team is clear: Austria is a step, but several more will be needed before the car is genuinely competitive again.