Steiner: Verstappen unlikely to leave Red Bull for 2026 season

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner shared his thoughts with Sport.de regarding Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull Racing.

Speculation about the Dutch driver’s future emerged after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed talks with Verstappen — though the probability of a move was considered very low.

The situation became more intriguing after Red Bull announced the dismissal of CEO and team principal Christian Horner last Wednesday.

“Max will definitely stay at Red Bull for 2026,” Steiner stated. “Signing a long-term contract with any team right now would be very risky.”

The major regulation changes in 2026 and Red Bull’s new partnership with Ford — replacing Honda — are crucial factors in this decision.

“He will wait and see the situation with new regulations. Maybe decide for 2027,” Steiner added. “It wouldn’t be good if he changed teams for just one year.”