Fresh questions over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future as ‘important people’ leave

Max Verstappen’s F1 future has once again been brought into question following the departures of “important people” from Red Bull.

The reigning world champion’s future has been a hot topic this year after Mercedes’ public attempts to lure Verstappen to the team as Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for next season.

Amid some political turmoil within the Red Bull camp following the allegations of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour made against team principal Christian Horner, Verstappen’s future came into question.

Verstappen, who is under contract until the end of 2028, has repeatedly insisted he has no intention of leaving Red Bull, but his future continues to be a talking point.

It recently emerged that Red Bull have tied down motorsport advisor Helmut Marko - whose own future appears tied to Verstappen’s - to a fresh commitment in a blow to their rivals’ hopes of poaching the Dutchman.

Asked if he is confident Verstappen will stay at Red Bull in 2025, De Telegraaf journalist Erik van Haren told the F1 Nation Podcast: “Yes. The thing is in Austria he said he would stay but it was of course after three or four questions.

“It was not that he said it right at the beginning. The third question it was, I think, that was ‘yes or no?’ And of course he couldn’t say no because then there was a crisis that weekend.

“But I think it has always been his intention to stay for next for sure at Red Bull. Only when there is a big chaos, or in Jeddah I think when he said when there was speculation about Helmut Marko being suspended, then he was quite clear; ‘if he goes, I go’. That didn’t happen of course but I think it’s always his intention to stay at Red Bull for 2025.”

However, van Haren conceded it remains to be seen whether Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley’s exits will have impacted Verstappen’s thinking.

“But it’s a fair point as well, he said at the beginning of the year with all the questions, that for him it was important that important people at the team stay,” van Haren continued. “And now, it’s quite interesting to see that Newey and Wheatley are leaving a few months after each other.

“That says that it’s not that quiet at Red Bull but of course you can say that with Jonathan Wheatley, he goes to Audi to be team principal. So you also can say ‘ok that’s a promotion for him to be team principal’. That space is not there at Red Bull because Christian Horner is in charge. So you can also say about that.

“I am curious what Max will say about that on Thursday in Zandvoort because of course we will ask about that. I don’t think that will change anything for his plans for 2025, but for 2026, it will be very interesting what he will do.”