He Pilot market Formula 1 took an unexpected turn in recent weeks. The negotiations between Max Verstappen and different teams generated a stir in the world of motoring. The current global tetra -champion became the center of attention due to its possible team change for season 2026.
The speculation about Verstappen’s future reached their maximum point when Information about conversations with Mercedes was leaked. This situation generated Uncertainty in the F1 surroundings, especially in Red Bull, the current Dutch pilot team. The possible departure from Verstappen opened a range of possibilities for other pilots and equipment, generating an earthquake on the grill.
The stir of negotiations with Mercedes
The possibility that the worldwide tetracampeon changed equipment put different shields and pilots. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, current Mercedes pilots, were seen in the center of speculation about a possible replacement.
The voltage in the pilot market was extended during the last weeks, with important movements and rumors in the environment of Formula 1. The possible Verstappen exit of its current team generated uncertainty in the grill, especially in Red Bull, who sought to retain his star pilot. The situation was even more complicated with the exit of Christian Horner, Director of the Austrian team, after 20 years in office.
Despite the rumors, Verstappen maintained a clear position on his future. The Dutch pilot publicly expressed his intention to continue in his current team, dismissing speculation about a possible transfer. “For me it has always been quite clear,” said Verstappenmaking it clear that his mind was never out of Red Bull.
Max Verstappen: The team in which it will run in 2026
Max Verstappen will run for Red Bull in the 2026 season. Helmut Marko, executive advisor to the Austrian team, confirmed this information in dialogue with Sport.de. The decision ends the rumors that linked the Dutch pilot with other squires, especially with Mercedes.
Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull extends to 2028but included a performance clause that allowed him to become a free agent in 2026 if certain requirements were met. This clause was activated if the pilot was out of the first three positions of the pilot championship before the mid -season recess.
The victory in the Sprint race and fourth place in the Belgium Grand Prix said the permanence of Verstappen in Red Bull. With these results, the Dutch pilot is 28 points above his closest persecutor, George Russell, with only 25 points at stake in Hungary. This situation mathematically impossible to activate the performance clause, guaranteeing the continuity of Verstappen in the team.
Verstappen confirmation in Red Bull also has an impact on the rest of the grill. With the worldwide tetracampeón outside the market, other teams can plan their alignments with greater certainty. Toto Wolff, director of Mercedes, said there is 90 or 95% probability that Russell and Antonelli continue on the team next season.
What will happen to Franco Colapinto in 2026?
The Argentine Franco Colapinto has his head on the current season of Formula 1, where his car of the Alpine team has given him several headaches. But, little by little, he also begins to think about what will happen in 2026.
Undoubtedly, his performances from here to the end of the current championship will be key to knowing whether or not it will be in F1 next year, where changes are expected in Alpine. The illusion of the Argentine is to be able to respond in the great prizes that remain and ensure a place as a second pilot behind Pierre Gasly or another, since an exit from the French is not ruled out and the arrival of another experienced.
Source: Ambito
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