Helmut Marko breaks silence on Max Verstappen deciding his Red Bull future for 2026

Helmut Marko has shared his thoughts on Max Verstappen's decision to stay at Red Bull in 2026. Marko, a Red Bull top advisor, stated that Verstappen's decision to remain at Red Bull makes sense as he would be able to focus on racing and improving more as a team.

Additionally, the Austrian executive noted that there is no guarantee which team will emerge as the strongest in 2026 under the new regulations. As a result, Verstappen's decision to commit his future to the team he raced for 10 years makes all the sense.

"From his statements, it was clear that he wanted to stay, and that makes sense, even if the exit clause had become enforceable," Marko said. "No one knows what the situation will be like in 2026. As for engines, Mercedes claims to be the leader, but there's no evidence of that."

"As for the chassis, it's unclear whether anyone will be able to pull off a big hit. So there's a lot of uncertainty, and from his perspective, it makes much more sense to stay and focus on all of this. If we're not competitive next year, then he might reconsider his decision," Marko further added on the F1-insider podcast (as shared by Motorsport).

Verstappen decided to stay with the Austrian team for the 2026 season, and has a contract until 2028. The four-time world champion's decision to remain at the team came amid rumors linking him with Mercedes.

Following back-to-back underwhelming performances, it was reported that Verstappen could leave Red Bull next season and join Mercedes, a team that is expected to be stronger under the new regulations. However, Verstappen put an end to the rumors and committed his future to Red Bull for at least one more year.

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Helmut Marko shared how important Max Verstappen is for Red Bull

Helmut Marko, in the interview, also revealed how incredibly important Max Verstappen is for Red Bull. Speaking about this, here's what the 82-year-old said:

Max Verstappen driving the F1 race car No 1, the Red Bull Racing RB21 - Source: Getty

"Max is a very important part of our team. He has achieved his successes with Red Bull Racing; in his Formula 1 career, he has only ever driven Red Bull cars, and beyond his potential, he is simply a very important family member for us."

Max Verstappen joined F1 with Toro Rosso back in 2015, and moved to Red Bull the very next year. Since then, Verstappen has been with Red Bull, and by 2025, he won four championships and 65 races.

However, coming into 2025, Verstappen's performance dipped as he has not been able to compete with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. He is trailing the McLaren drivers by 97 and 88 points, respecitvely.