Ultimately, though, he opted to honour his existing contract, which runs until the end of the 2028 season, pledging his allegiance to Red Bull for at least the 2026 campaign. Wolff, meanwhile, is set to renew the deals of incumbent drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

But to hear the driver tell it, he is “not too worried” about his championship chances. In an interview with Lawrence Barretto published on the official F1 website (a free subscription is required), Verstappen opened up about the state of play at Red Bull in 2025, and his future in the sport.

Martin Brundle has put Red Bull on notice: they may yet lose Max Verstappen, not for next year, but for the year after. Verstappen himself closed the door on a potential departure from Red Bull, and