Coronel says Verstappen staying at Red Bull in 2026

Jun.14 (GMM)  Max Verstappen is not leaving Red Bull, according to a Dutch racing expert who knows the world champion personally.

After the recent Spanish Grand Prix, where Verstappen was penalised for an incident with George Russell and admitted his 2025 title hopes were slim, speculation grew that he may be trying to activate a contract exit clause and move to Mercedes or Aston Martin for 2026.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko rejected those claims.

“For one thing, he could do it much more discreetly than that,” he told Kleine Zeitung.

In Canada, Verstappen seems in much better spirits. During a media session, he defended a team member after being blamed publicly by Sky reporter Ted Kravitz for a strategy error in Barcelona.

“Since Jonathan Wheatley went, obviously you have Stephen Knowles who is doing it now,” Kravitz said.

Verstappen responded: “I think it's not really nice to try and single out a person, because that's never the case. I think we just look at it as a team, what we always can do better, and that's also how we look at it in Barcelona. It's not fair to now single out one single person.”

Dutch racing driver and media pundit Tom Coronel believes that Verstappen’s strong defence of his team is all the proof needed that he’s staying put.

“I see that Max has made his choice, and that is why he is standing up for Red Bull,” Coronel told Viaplay. “He is not looking for another team. You can clearly see that he is staying with Red Bull.”

Not everyone agrees. Mathias Lauda, son of F1 legend Niki Lauda, believes Verstappen’s next move is still uncertain.

When asked what car Verstappen will drive in 2026, he told Osterreich: “Wow, that's difficult. I don't think even Max knows yet. I can even imagine him saying 'I'm taking a year off - I want to enjoy my new baby and spend more time at home'.”

Lauda added: “During this time, he can take a look at who has the best package under the new regulations and choose a cockpit that will put him in contention for the title again. A year off would certainly do him good.”]]>