Max Verstappen gave short shrift to yet another wave of questions about his long-term future at Red Bull as he faced media ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
The four-time World Champion is contracted to Red Bull through 2028, but talk of a possible exit has intensified in recent months amid the team’s struggles to consistently fight at the front.
Verstappen’s deal reportedly contains a performance-related clause allowing him to walk away for 2027 if he isn’t inside the top two in the standings by the summer break – a trigger point that has technically been reached, even if Verstappen has given no indication he intends to invoke it.
McLaren had been widely linked as a possible destination, with Motorsport Week reporting last week that talks with the Woking-based squad had significantly ramped-up, but without firm likelihood that a deal will indeed materialise.
Facing media, including Motorsport Week, at Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen, when asked directly whether there was any update on his situation, he replied simply: “No.”
Pushed on the swirling rumours, he was equally unmoved, dismissing them with a flat “Nothing.”
Questioned on whether he had a timeline for a decision, Verstappen was again short saying there was “nothing to say from my side,” indicating a lack of clarity elsewhere in the situation.
And when it was suggested that his silence amounted to a full commitment to Red Bull, he pushed back on the framing itself rather than confirming it either way.
Pressed once more on whether he’d be back with the team next season, Verstappen made clear he had no interest in playing along with hypotheticals, saying he doesn’t want to give a yes-or-no answer on his future and that he will address it himself if there’s ever something new to report.
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It leaves Red Bull’s driver situation as unresolved as ever heading into this weekend’s race with Verstappen giving nothing away.
With the summer break now truly forthcoming – the month-long hiatus coming after the Hungarian Grand Prix next week – the performance clause in his contract has become more than a theoretical talking point — it’s a live one.
What’s notable is less what Verstappen said than how he said it.
Oscar Piastri, the man at the centre of the rumours, also – given he would likely be the man to make way for Verstappen should he sign for McLaren – was firm in his responses to the speculation, simply replying “yes” when asked if he would remain at the team that prised him from Alpine four years ago.
The Australian also speculated whether Verstappen’s potential unhappiness at Red Bull has further fuelled the speculation, but Verstappen’s lightly-worded but blunt answers will no doubt fuel the speculation, as many will naturally assume a complete denial means a potential exit.
There will be ongoing rumours whether Verstappen likes it or not, but the story, like last year’s rumours of a Mercedes seat for this year, will further add to the F1 drama amid what is currently a miserable campaign for Verstappen and Red Bull.
But either way, the story seems far from done for now, as confirmation of his intention to stay with Red Bull last year – coming days after the Belgian GP, coincidentally – appears a little further away.
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