Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has acknowledged Max Verstappen has a performance clause in his contract but stressed he intends to keep his driver at the team.
Horner said speculation over his driver’s future had been triggered by Mercedes’ George Russell who is yet to sign a new deal for next year. The Red Bull team boss said it’s “remarkable that George is still on the market” for 2026.
Reports earlier this year claimed Verstappen can exercise an option to leave Red Bull if he is not within the top three places in the championship by the summer break, in three rounds’ time. These details have not been confirmed by the team. Verstappen currently holds third, just nine points ahead of Russell, who has out-scored him over the last three rounds.
Speaking in today’s FIA press conference at Silverstone, Horner did not confirm Verstappen will definitely drive for Red Bull again in 2026.
“The contracts between the drivers and the teams are always going to remain confidential,” he said. “And with any driver’s contract, there is an element of a performance mechanism. And of course, that existed within Max’s contract.
“The absolute intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026. Now, it’s inevitable that he’s of huge interest to any other team in the pit lane.”
Mercedes is understood to be courting Verstappen as a potential replacement for Russ. “I think actually probably George triggered all this speculation,” said Horner, “trying to leverage his own situation and force clarity, which you can understand because he’s driven a very good season as well this year.
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“But inevitably there will always be speculation about it. I think most importantly is the clarity that exists between Max and the team and that’s very clear.”
Horner said Red Bull “haven’t engaged in any discussion with George, so he’s obviously pretty confident that he’s going to get to remain where he is.”
F1 will introduce an extensive overhaul of its regulations next year. While some have suggested this will play into Mercedes’ hands, Horner said “nobody, with hand on heart, can know what the pecking order is going to be.”
“I think there’s an awful lot of subjectiveness to 2026 and it’ll only be really this time next year that you’ll have a clear indication of what that pecking order is. So there are no guarantees that jumping into a Mercedes car will automatically be a better proposition.”
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