Red Bull Racing team advisor Helmut Marko ruled out the exit of star driver Max Verstappen after the 2025 Formula One season.

Max Verstappen, after months of speculation, has reportedly decided where his racing future lies and has come to a firm decision.

Advisor Helmut Marko issued the strongest confirmation yet, leaving Red Bull’s top brass with a clear task going into next season.

Speculation of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull will go back on hold for another year. Chatter has persisted about the four-time Formula One champion leaving Red Bull amid interest from Mercedes. Although Verstappen is under contract through 2028,

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has named George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli as the team's priority for the 2026 Formula One season. The revelation comes after Max Verstappen was strongly linked to Mercedes.

Max Verstappen has reportedly failed to trigger an exit clause in his contract for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Helmut Marko says that the star driver is staying put, too.

Moreover, team principal Christian Horner was dismissed from his role by Red Bull, though Verstappen has since said his exit will not have any bearing on his own future. Throughout the entire saga, it has been known that there is a performance-related release clause in Verstappen’s contract which runs until 2028.

Regardless, Verstappen hinted at Spa that he is likely to stay at Red Bull for 2026, despite the team’s underperformance this season. As a result, George Russell looks set to stay at Mercedes for at least the 2026 season, with talks expected to get underway shortly.

Red Bull Racing's senior advisor has made Red Bull's position clear on the four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

R ed Bull F1 chief Helmut Marko has given a definitive verdict on Max Verstappen ’s future and confirmed where the four-time world champion will race in 2026. Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification.