In just the second year of his five-year, $275 million contract with the Red Bull company’s F1 racing team, Max Verstappen is struggling. Entering the 2025 season with what seemed like a realistic chance to tie the legendary Michael Schumacher’s record of five straight world championships, the 27-year-old Belgian-born driver has won only two of 13 races.
Despite his struggles, turmoil at the Red Bull team, and suspicions that he and his father were behind the sacking of Red Bull’s longtime team boss, Verstappen has now ended the widespread speculation that he would depart the team after this season, most likely for Mercedes.
Verstappen Committed to Red Bull After Belgian Result
“Whoever still doubted it â Max Verstappen will drive for Red Bull Racing in 2026,” the Dutch newspaper Der Telegraaf wrote, as quoted by ESPN.com. “Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is now completely sure that he will have move on to next year.”
Verstappen, the son of retired driver Jos Verstappen â who never won an F1 championship or even a single race â again missed the podium at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, placing fourth, as the McLaren team of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took its sixth 1-2 finish of the season.
Piastri took the top spot for the sixth time in 2025, holding off a late challenge from his teammate Norris, who has won three races so far, with 11 circuits to come on the calendar. Monaco’s Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc took the third spot on the podium.
Red Bull Driver Takes Sprint Race
Verstappen did win Saturday’s sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps, edging out Piastri with Norris taking third. The win gave Verstappen eight points, but with Piastri earning seven and Norris six, the Dutchman’s gain in the standings was minimal.
With 185 points after Sunday’s Spa event, Verstappen holds 185 points, 81 behind the Australian Piastri, and 65 short of Great Britain’s Norris in second.
Red Bull is currently fourth in the constructor’s championship chase, with 192 points â an overwhelming 324 behind leaders McLaren.
Red Bull Boss Horner Relieved of Duties
Verstappen’s down year and the lackluster performance of the once-dominant Red Bull overall led to the sudden firing on July 9 of team principal Christian Horner after 20 years.
Not only did Horner lead Red Bull, which joined F1 in 2005, to six constructors championships and eight driver titles, he became a global celebrity in the process â in part thanks to his leading role in the Netflix behind-the-scenes docu-series Drive to Survive, and his marriage to former Spice Girl Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell.
Opt-Out Clause in Contract Now Not Applicable
Whether Horner’s involuntary departure will turn Red Bull’s fortunes around remains to be seen. But the team will have its superstar driver to help them do it. Verstappen was believed to have an opt-out in his Red Bull contract that would allow him to become a free agent if, after next weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, he stood in fourth place in the standings or lower.
But he is now 27 points clear of fourth-place George Russell of Mercedes. Because F1 rules limit a driver to a maximum of 25 points in any single weekend, Verstappen will remain in third place following the August 3 event at Hungaroring in Budapest, no matter where either of the two drivers finish.
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