Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has revealed that the outfit is fielding inquiries from several "good drivers" who are curious about future opportunities within the squad. Despite these external approaches, Mekies remains confident that the team will continue to sharpen its performance, ensuring that Max Verstappen remains the cornerstone of Red Bull's racing programme. As the Formula 1 calendar heads toward the final pre‑summer‑break event in Hungary, the question of Verstappen's long‑term future at Red Bull is still a topic of lively debate. While his current contract officially runs through the close of the 2028 season, it contains performance‑related clauses that could allow him to exit at the end of the 2024 campaign.
Reports suggest that the Dutch champion has until October to notify the team if he wishes to trigger that early termination option. Last month, rumors 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 in the near term. Similar contractual constraints exist at Mercedes and Ferrari, where the incumbent drivers are also tied down, meaning that if Verstappen decides to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2024, his short‑term alternatives outside Red Bull appear limited until at least 2027.
During the Belgian Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 asked Mekies whether Red Bull itself had been approached by other drivers on the grid. He answered candidly: "It works both ways.
It's completely natural that Max gets calls from everyone because he's arguably the best driver in the world, and likewise, a top team like ours receives interest from many talented drivers. That's just the nature of the sport." When pressed about whether these enquiries could distract the team, Mekies dismissed the notion. "Not really.
Our sole focus is to make the car as quick as possible, keep the world's top driver, and develop the partnership with Isack Hadjar, who is showing impressive growth alongside Max. That combination is ideal for us, and we aim to preserve it." Mekies also underscored Red Bull's determination 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 three races ago, Verstappen has stood on the podium in two of the last three events, despite a frustrating spin at Silverstone caused by a rear‑wing failure. Meanwhile, rookie Isack Hadjar 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 said. "We started the season more than a second off the pace, which was expected given the late title push last year and the challenges posed by the new power unit regulations.
Since then, we've shaved that deficit down to the last two or three tenths, and that's where the battle now lies." He explained that being a full second slower than the leaders is frustrating for both drivers and the team, and that the current objective is to recover those final tenths of a second. "When you're that far behind, the drivers get restless, Max gets restless, and we all know that's not the position we want to stay in.
The best way to close the gap is to focus on extracting those last few tenths, and that's everyone's priority." Red Bull has experienced a notable turnover of key personnel over the past two seasons, including the departure of several architects of their previous championship successes. Verstappen's own race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is set to join McLaren no later than 2028, adding another layer of change to the team's dynamics. When asked how this sense of transition meshes with the goal of retaining Verstappen, Mekies offered a straightforward answer: "It's simpler than it appears because, at the end of the day, it's all about speed. Red Bull Racing has one objective – to win – and that aligns perfectly with Max's own ambition.
It's not about proving we can win; we are already winning." He praised the continuity of the core group that orchestrated the remarkable turnaround last year, noting that despite a late surge in performance, they managed to erase nearly a second of deficit against their rivals. "Now we're in the hardcore phase, chasing those last few tenths, which are the hardest to extract. The key is to keep working together as a united team, and that unity will deliver the best results," Mekies concluded.
Looking ahead, the Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest will be the next showcase for Red Bull's progress, with every session broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, with the flexibility to cancel at any time. The race will provide a crucial test of whether the team's recent upgrades and strategic focus can finally bridge the final performance gap and keep Max Verstappen at the pinnacle of the sport for years to come.