Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, revealed that the outfit is already fielding inquiries from a number of "good drivers" who are curious about possible openings in the near future. Despite the buzz surrounding the driver market, Mekies stressed that the team’s primary focus remains on sharpening the car’s performance so that Max Verstappen can continue to dominate.
As the Formula 1 calendar heads toward the Hungarian Grand Prix – the final event before the summer hiatus – the question of Verstappen’s long‑term future with Red Bull is still a hot topic. While his contract officially runs through the end of the 2028 season, it includes performance‑related clauses that could allow him to exit at the conclusion of the current year. Reports suggest that the Dutch champion has until October to decide whether to trigger that break clause.
Last month, rumours surfaced that Verstappen’s management had opened talks with McLaren. However, McLaren boss Zak Brown quickly clarified that his team already has its two drivers locked in – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – leaving little room for a high‑profile addition. The same situation applies to Mercedes and Ferrari, whose driver line‑ups are also secured for the foreseeable future. Consequently, if Verstappen wishes to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2027, his most realistic option appears to be remaining with Red Bull.
During the Belgian Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 asked Mekies whether Red Bull itself was receiving approaches from other drivers on the grid. He answered that the situation works both ways: "It's completely natural that Max gets called by everyone because he’s the best driver in the world, and equally, a top team like Red Bull will hear from many good drivers who want to join us." Mekies was quick to dismiss the notion that these conversations are a distraction.
"Our full concentration is on making the car as quick as possible," he said. "If we can keep the fastest driver on the planet, and we see strong development from Isack Hadjar alongside Max, that is the ideal pairing for us. We aim to protect that partnership for as long as possible." The Red Bull chief expressed confidence that the team will continue to close the remaining performance gap to the very front of the grid. Since the introduction of a major aerodynamic upgrade to the RB‑22 at the Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen has stood on the podium in two of the last three races, despite a setback at Silverstone where a rear‑wing failure forced him to spin out late in the race.
Hadjar, who made his Formula 1 debut earlier this season, impressed again in Belgium by climbing from 21st on the grid to finish sixth, marking his sixth consecutive top‑six result. Mekies highlighted that the team simply needs to keep progressing: "We started the season more than a second off the pace, which was expected given the late‑season title push last year and the challenges of the new power unit.
Since then we have trimmed that deficit to the last two or three tenths, and that is where we are concentrating our efforts now." He explained that when a team is a full second behind, both the drivers and the engineers feel frustration. "Max is frustrated, we are frustrated, and we know that staying a second back is not acceptable.
The goal now is to shave off those final tenths, which is the hardest part of development." Red Bull has undergone a period of transition over the past two years, with several key figures from its recent championship successes moving on. Additionally, Verstappen’s long‑time race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is set to join McLaren by 2028.
When asked how this turnover aligns with the aim of retaining Verstappen, Mekies responded that the answer is straightforward: it all comes down to speed. "Red Bull Racing has a single objective – to win – and that aligns perfectly with Max’s own goal," he said.
"It isn’t about proving we can win; we are already winning. The same core group that engineered the remarkable turnaround last year is still here, and they have already recovered nearly a second from our rivals. Now we are in the ‘hardcore’ phase, fighting for the last few tenths, which are the most difficult to extract.
The key is to keep working together as a united team, and that will deliver the best results." Looking ahead, the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring will be the next showcase for Red Bull’s progress. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract. The race will provide a crucial data point for Mekies and his engineers as they aim to demonstrate that the RB‑22 can consistently challenge for pole positions and race wins, reinforcing the message that the team remains the premier destination for the world’s top driving talent. In summary, while Red Bull is fielding interest from other high‑calibre drivers, the team’s strategic priority is clear: continue to develop the car, secure the fastest lap times, and maintain the partnership between Max Verstappen and the emerging talent of Isack Hadjar.
By doing so, they hope to keep Verstappen motivated to stay, while also building a future‑proof line‑up that can sustain their dominance in the sport for years to come.