Red Bull insider confesses Max Verstappen exit rumors do have an impact on the team

Red Bull insider Stephen Knowles feels that the rumors of Max Verstappen's potential exit from the team are something that does grab the attention of the squad because it can be very hard to parse the smoke from the fire. The Dutch driver made his F1 debut in 2015 and ever since has been under the umbrella of the Austrian team.

First, it was Toro Rosso, where he debuted alongside Carlos Sainz. Then in 2016, Max Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull, and he instantly showed what he was capable of as he won his very first race.

The partnership grew stronger year on year, and it helped them achieve championship success in 2021. The bond has seemingly gotten weaker in 2024 with the downturn in Red Bull's form.

The 2024 F1 season was filled with doubts over the future of the driver. The 2025 F1 season has not been any different, with Max Verstappen finally quashing any suggestions of a Red Bull exit in Hungary.

There was, however, one key detail about the Dutch driver's move, where it was already reported that his exit clause had expired and he wasn't going to leave the team anyway.

On the Inside Track podcast, Stephen Knowles made an appearance as he was questioned about the impact of these rumors. The Red Bull insider admitted that it is hard to parse what the truth is and what isn't whenever such a thing comes up, but it is surely something that catches the attention within the team. He said,

"Well, I'm certainly not rolling my eyes!" he responds when asked what he makes of all the stories. "With these kinds of things, it's just difficult to determine what's smoke and what's fire. There are a lot of conversations going on in the paddock; some things are just hypothetical, while others contain a kernel of truth."

He added,

"But you never really know if hypothetical conversations will be turned around in such a way that they're suddenly presented as fact. That makes it difficult to gauge the extent to which you can simply believe anything."

Max Verstappen reaffirms his commitment to Red Bull

Max Verstappen reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull during the F1 Hungarian GP, where the driver said that he wanted to quash all the rumors. Ironically, however, the rumors were a result of the driver not making a commitment to the team in front of the media during the previous race weekend, and his claims came after it was reported that his exit clause had expired. He told F1.com,

"The point is, there are always other people talking a lot, while I don't really say anything. Because I don't have to in the first place: I don't have to say anything. I think that's better for everyone, instead of just chatting."

He added,

"There's no point anyway. It's a bit of a waste of time. I'm very focused on 2026 with the team, looking ahead and making sure we understand the rules and are competitive from the start."

The 2026 F1 season is going to be an interesting one for sure when it comes to Max Verstappen's future, as the driver will be assessing the field to see where he goes next, depending on the team's competitiveness.