Max Verstappen drops a witty response when questioned about his F1 future

Max Verstappen's F1 future with Red Bull has been under the scanner, with the team's unexpected performance drop this season. Ahead of the Belgian GP, the Dutchman was asked to address the speculation about the same, to which he gave a rather amusing response.

On many race weekends this season, Verstappen has explicitly complained about the RB21's performance. Though he remains the better of the two Red Bull drivers, the four-time champion is nearly out of contention for the 2025 championship. The McLaren pair is 1-2 in the standings, with championship leader Oscar Piastri 69 points ahead of the Dutchman in P3.

Off the track, Verstappen is being heavily linked to a Mercedes move for 2026 to potentially replace George Russell. He reportedly met Team Principal Toto Wolff this month to talk about the same. However, ahead of the Belgian GP, Wolff played down the possibility of the move and emphasized his commitment to renewing Russell and Kimi Antonelli's contracts.

On Thursday, reporter Adam Cooper asked Verstappen if he had any other options for 2026. The Dutchman humorously said:

"There's also a possibility I don't wake up tomorrow, that there is no driving at all. So life is unpredictable. But in general, I'm very happy where I'm at."

Max Verstappen's current contract with Red Bull runs through to 2028. But there is a performance-related exit clause, which allows him to leave the team if he falls below P3 in the championship by the half-way mark of a season. However, that clause has expired for 2025, with him still in P3 past the season's mid-point.

Max Verstappen shares whether Christian Horner's Red Bull axing will have an impact on his 2026 seat

Christian Horner with Max Verstappen at the F1 Grand Prix of Austria - Practice - Source: Getty

During the Thursday press conference before the Belgian GP, Verstappen also spoke about former Team Principal Christian Horner's Red Bull exit. He discussed the potential impact of the mammoth move on his future with the team.

RBR parted ways with Horner a few days after the British GP, where Verstappen started on pole and finished in P5 after a costly spin in wet conditions. The decision was understood to have been taken by Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff.

Max Verstappen spoke about the situation and his relationship with Horner, saying (via journalist Erik van Haren on X):

"I mainly want to look ahead, but I'll always have a good relationship with Christian [Horner]. It will not have an impact on my decision for next year's seat."

The 28-year-old has won thrice at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, which is his favorite track on the calendar. It will host the third Sprint weekend of the calendar after China and Miami.