Verstappen not committing to Red Bull future - report

Max Verstappen has reportedly still not assured Red Bull that he intends to remain with the team through the end of his contract.

The latest claim comes just days after the quadruple world champion attended a meeting in Salzburg with Red Bull’s top leadership, including co-owner Chalerm Yoovidhya and chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff.

When asked in Barcelona about the gathering, Verstappen refused to elaborate. "It’s no one’s business," he said.

"It was planned anyway. It’s not like it just popped up suddenly after Monaco."

However, according to De Telegraaf journalist Erik van Haren, the meeting did not produce the reassurance Red Bull’s management had hoped for.

"The ideal situation for Red Bull management right now would be for Max Verstappen to say ’I’m staying’," van Haren explained.

"Then there would be peace, and the team would be able to attract new staff. This would also make it more attractive to sponsors.

"Verstappen is the most important man at Red Bull - he’s essentially the one carrying the team."

The speculation comes as Red Bull struggles to match Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren in 2026.

After Barcelona, Verstappen openly described Red Bull as only the fourth-best team, while van Haren believes the Spanish GP exposed weaknesses in every area.

"After the weekend, he actually reacted a bit resigned," he said. "It was an important test here, because Barcelona is an all-round circuit. On each type of corner, they were too slow."

Much of the uncertainty centres on Verstappen’s well-known exit clauses.

"Verstappen can really activate it for the first time this year," van Haren claims. "In the summer break there is a measuring moment.

"He is now seventh in the championship, and I do not assume that he will suddenly be second."

"Verstappen will start asking himself questions about this in the coming weeks. Of course, there must also be a possible alternative."

Most significantly, he claims Verstappen has not privately reassured Red Bull officials. "He has not indicated internally that he remains guaranteed."

"Austria is going to be a very important weekend," the Dutch journalist continued. "They want to slim down the car, and that’s going to be really crucial."

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos believes the entire driver market is effectively waiting for Verstappen to decide his next move.

He believes Mercedes remains the obvious alternative.

"At Mercedes, both drivers have a one-year contract," Doornbos told the Pit Talk podcast. "May the best win.

"I don’t know if there’s still room for the other driver given Max’s situation."

"The next few months will be very interesting."

Another Dutch former F1 driver has another idea.

"Where is he going? He can basically go anywhere," Christijan Albers told De Telegraaf. "Jos Verstappen may not agree with me.

"But if I were Max, I would drive at Red Bull for another year and in 2028 I would go to Ferrari, following Michael Schumacher, the greatest."