The two deciding factors in Max Verstappen's team choice for 2026

Also this Thursday in Silverstone, the topic Max Verstappen tried to avoid as much as possible was about his future at Red Bull Racing and a possible move to Mercedes, his answers were short and mostly: “That hasn't changed since last week.”

But in a week, it seems a lot has happened for the public, as stories about a possible departure from Red Bull are getting louder and louder. One rumor is more exciting than the next, until a now fully debunked story that a deal with Mercedes is close.

For those thinking clarity on where Verstappen will drive next season is coming soon? That’s certainly not the case. First and foremost, Max Verstappen's absolute preference is to stay with Red Bull Racing. To see the power dynamics after the introduction of the new technical regulations, one would like to wait and see how the next year unfolds. Also, Red Bull is simply his home.

But Verstappen now wants to see technical improvements - preferably before 2025 ends, but definitely by 2026. This needs to happen soon, as has been made clear to Red Bull internally. For Verstappen, it has been clear for a year now that something is not going well and the Austrian team's car is too slow.

It is even doubted whether the RB21 is better than Alpine's car, but it might just be Verstappen's enormous talents that enable the team to compete at the front at times. A complicated issue is that the people who currently have no idea how to make Verstappen's car faster are also the ones building the car for 2026.

If Verstappen no longer had faith in that development process, then Mercedes would be the logical option for the Dutch driver. Verstappen expects the Mercedes of ‘26 to be a better car than the Red Bull. There is also a ‘but’, because Mercedes is currently failing to be faster than its customer team McLaren. In short, even at Wolff's team, he sees work is still to be done.

Besides the developments on a technical level, there is a second point on which Verstappen will make his decision. He is completely fed up with the internal squabbling. For a year and a half, Red Bull has been a snakes' pitt, where people are at each others' throats - with team principal Christian Horner often at the center of the controversy. There is a sense of envy for how things are done at Mercedes, where everything is completely calm and organized.

In summary, Verstappen is looking at two things: Who has the best material in 2026 and where is the most peace. Once answers are found to both questions, then it will also be clear where his future lies.