Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has hinted that the outfit is fielding inquiries from several "good drivers" who are curious about possible openings in the squad. Despite these overtures, Mekies remains confident that the team will continue to improve its performance enough to keep Max Verstappen satisfied and motivated. As the Formula 1 calendar heads toward the final event before the summer hiatus—the Hungarian Grand Prix—questions linger over Verstappen's long‑term future at Red Bull.
While his contract officially runs through the end of the 2028 season, it contains performance‑related clauses that could allow him to exit at the close of the current year. Reports suggest he has until October to notify the team if he wishes to trigger that exit option. Last month, rumors surfaced that Verstappen's management had been in talks with McLaren. However, McLaren boss Zak Brown quickly clarified that his team already has its two drivers—Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri—and is not actively seeking a replacement.
Similar contractual constraints bind the drivers at Mercedes and Ferrari, meaning that if Verstappen decides to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2027, his short‑term alternatives outside Red Bull appear limited. During the Belgian Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 asked Mekies whether Red Bull itself had been approached by other drivers interested in a seat.
He responded that the situation works both ways. "It's completely natural that Max gets calls from everyone because he's the best driver in the world," Mekies said, adding that top teams inevitably receive interest from talented drivers looking for a competitive ride. He emphasized that these inquiries are not a distraction for the team.
Their primary focus remains extracting the maximum performance from the car and retaining the sport's premier driver. Mekies also highlighted the rapid development of Isack Hadjar alongside Verstappen, describing the duo as the ideal pairing for Red Bull's future. Since a major aerodynamic upgrade to the RB22 at the Austrian Grand Prix three races ago, Verstappen has stood on the podium twice in the last three events, despite a setback at Silverstone where a rear‑wing fault forced him to spin out late in the race. Hadjar, meanwhile, impressed by climbing from 21st on the grid to finish sixth in Belgium, extending his streak of top‑six results to six consecutive races.
"All we need to do is keep progressing with the car," Mekies explained. He recalled that the season began with the team more than a second off the leading pace—a gap he attributed to the delayed title push last year and the challenges posed by the new power‑unit regulations.
"We started on the back foot, but these guys did it again. We were more than a second away and now we're talking about the last two or three tenths for ultimate pace," he said. Mekies acknowledged the frustration that a one‑second deficit can cause for both drivers and the team, but he stressed that closing that margin is the current priority.
"When you are one second away, the drivers get frustrated, Max gets frustrated. We know that's not the position we want to stay in," he noted.
"The best way to close the gap is to go after those final two or three tenths, and that's what everyone is focused on." The Red Bull organization has experienced significant turnover in recent years, with several key figures from its previous championship campaigns departing. Additionally, Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is set to join McLaren no later than 2028.
When asked how this period of transition aligns with efforts to retain Verstappen, Mekies offered a straightforward answer: "It's ultimately about speed. Red Bull and Red Bull Racing have one objective—to win, and that aligns with Max's goal." He continued, "It's not about proving to him that we can win; we are already winning.
The same group that orchestrated the remarkable turnaround last year is still here, and despite the late push, they've managed to shave nearly a second off our rivals. Those early races didn't see us waiting for anyone. Now we're in the hardcore phase, chasing the last few tenths, the hardest to extract.
The key is to keep working as a united group, and that's how we'll deliver the best results." Looking ahead, Formula 1 will head to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with every session broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 starting this Friday. Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, with flexible subscription terms. As the sport pauses for the summer break, Red Bull's internal dynamics and external interest will continue to shape the narrative around Verstappen's future and the team's quest to close the performance gap and reclaim dominance at the front of the grid.