Red Bull must find final tenths to secure Verstappen's future

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed the outfit is receiving inquiries from rival drivers, even as it races to find the final two or three tenths of a second in car pace needed to keep Max Verstappen beyond this season. The Dutch driver's contract runs until the end of 2028 but includes performance clauses that would allow him to leave at the end of 2026. Verstappen has until October to inform the team if he intends to trigger that break.

For Red Bull, retaining Verstappen is critical to maintaining its position at the pinnacle of a sport that drives significant global brand exposure and sponsorship revenue. However, the team has faced a turbulent period, losing several key figures from its title-winning era. This includes Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who is bound for McLaren no later than 2028.

The broader driver market offers Verstappen few immediate alternatives. While his representatives recently spoke with McLaren, chief executive Zak Brown has stated he is committed to his current pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Rivals Mercedes and Ferrari also have their drivers under contract, effectively boxing in any short-term move.

Mekies remains optimistic, pointing to a technical resurgence under Formula 1's new power unit regulations. The team introduced a major upgrade to the RB22 three races ago in Austria, a move that has yielded two podiums in the last three events for Verstappen. Teammate Isack Hadjar has simultaneously strung together six consecutive top-six finishes, including a drive from 21st to sixth in Belgium.

The team's early-season struggles were a direct result of a late championship push last year and the complexities of the new engines. "We started the season a bit more than one second off the pace and I don't think we should be surprised at that," Mekies said. "I think it's a product of how late the title push was last year - a product of how late the title push was last year, a product of the incredible challenge of the new power unit."

Closing that remaining deficit is now the sole focus for the team before the October deadline. "When you are one second away, the drivers are going to be frustrated, Max is going to be frustrated," Mekies noted. "The best way to close the subject is to go and get these last two or three tenths and that's what everyone is focused on."

Despite the swirling speculation, Mekies views the incoming calls from rival drivers as a natural byproduct of running a top team. "It's completely natural Max gets called from everyone because he's the best driver in the world and, equally, if you are a top team, you are going to get calls from many of these good drivers around as well," he said. Red Bull's leadership believes that if its engineering group can replicate its recent progress, the commercial disruption of a driver departure will be entirely avoided.