Verstappen’s manager confirms Max’s future plans after turbulent weeks full of rumours

And it won’t be a move to McLaren, the manager of the 28-year-old tells the Austrian outlet OE24. The Verstappen camp also sees and knows that a lot is being written about the various future scenarios for the Red Bull Racing driver. Paddock insiders were adamant that Verstappen would switch to McLaren, but as GPblog already reported, there were other realistic scenarios, one of which was that he would stay at Red Bull.

That also seems to be what will happen. “A lot is being written. But the truth is that Max wants to finish his stint at Red Bull. He has a contract through 2028 and wants to see it out,” says Vermeulen. The rumors were further fueled by a photo of a 'secret' meeting in Amsterdam between Vermeulen, Jos Verstappen, and former Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko, published by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The Austrian already told this website it was a private visit.

Vermeulen reiterates those words: “That was a private appointment that had been planned for a long time. Moreover, Max’s sister got married,” he says. For now, Team Verstappen is putting a swift end to the rumors about the 28-year-old, despite the much-discussed exit clause being activatable now that Verstappen is not in the top two of the championship heading into the summer break. “The fact that this clause exists doesn’t mean we’ll use it. We could have done so in recent years as well, but we didn’t,” Vermeulen says.

Verstappen’s manager has previously said they want to remain loyal to Red Bull, but that they also want to be in a situation where they can win. At the moment that chance seems small, but Vermeulen expresses some hope that the car can still be improved and that Verstappen can win another race. “Probably not at Spa, but in Budapest and Zandvoort the chances are increasing,” he says, adding that it helps that the engine built by Red Bull Ford Powertrains is “better than most people had expected.”

Although there have reportedly been talks with McLaren initiated by the Verstappen camp, a move now seems off the table. On the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix, Vermeulen provides an important update on Verstappen’s future. The four-time world champion could confirm during Thursday’s press conference at Spa-Francorchamps that he will remain with Red Bull in 2027 and 2028. In the background, speculation about what it took to convince Verstappen is likely to continue for the time being.