Will Verstappen stay with Red Bull? An impossible choice between Mercedes and Marko

In recent weeks, GPblog learned that Christian Horner's departure was a significant point for Verstappen's camp. Horner had to leave, or at least his role had to be divided among several people. The unrest within Red Bull Racing had to stop.

Responding to the calls for Horner's dismissal, the Red Bull top management complied, but one point remains upright from Max Verstappen: he wants signs that Red Bull is capable of building a top car again, even without Rob Marshall and Adrian Newey.  

Horner's dismissal is not a sign that Red Bull has confidence in the way forward. Reportedly, more people have been or will be fired within Red Bull Racing, so there is far from any peace. It's a heavy task for Laurent Mekies to take over, but where does he even begin?

In terms of development, Red Bull has been at a standstill for a year and a half compared to the competition. In Austria, Verstappen's fastest lap was slower than his pole lap a year earlier, while all other teams went faster. It says enough about the development, or rather the lack thereof, at Red Bull Racing.

You can expect a lot from Mekies, but not that he suddenly will design a quicker car. This problem is not solved with Horner's dismissal. The same applies to Red Bull's pit stops, which have noticeably deteriorated since Jonathan Wheatley's departure. Who will address these issues?

Then there's the Red Bull Powertrains project. Christian Horner's pet project. It was his prestige project, which he managed to get through just before the death of Dietrich Mateschitz. An ambitious project, with many question marks for 2026.

Even Horner stated in England that it would be 'embarrassing' for Mercedes and other manufacturers if Red Bull beat them straight away. Not a signal you want to hear from your team boss as a four-time world champion.

While the biggest disturber, Christian Horner, has been dismissed, the problems have not suddenly been solved. All those problems have a different cause. Either due to lost staff members or embarking on an ambitious engine project that simply will take time. Time the team don't have with 2026 already around the corner.

Max Verstappen is very loyal to Red Bull Racing, as he has always been. Verstappen is mainly loyal to Helmut Marko, who brought him to Formula 1 and Red Bull Racing. Marko has firmly taken the reins at Red Bull again, but is it enough to convince Verstappen?

Marko let his first protégé, Sebastian Vettel, go at the end of 2014 when the car simply wasn't good enough. While Horner might block a transfer to rival Mercedes, Marko is more likely to make it less difficult for Verstappen. Red Bull is at the beginning of a new cycle, and a frustrated world champion does not fit a rebuild.

For Verstappen, Mercedes still beckons. The team where there is much more peace and where there is no ambiguity about the engine or who takes care of what within the team. It's the choice between stability and loyalty. It's up to Max to make the choice.