Laurent Mekies, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, revealed that the outfit is fielding inquiries from several "good drivers" about possible future openings within the squad. He also stressed that the team is committed to making the additional performance gains needed to keep Max Verstappen at the helm. As the Formula One calendar heads toward its last event before the summer hiatus – the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend – the question of Verstappen's long‑term future with Red Bull remains a hot topic.
While his contract officially runs through the end of 2028, it contains performance‑related clauses that could allow him to exit at the close of the current season. Reports suggest the Dutch champion has until October to notify the team if he wishes to trigger that break.
Last month, news broke that Verstappen's representatives had opened talks with McLaren. However, McLaren boss Zak Brown quickly clarified that his team already has a settled driver line‑up in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, effectively shutting the door on any immediate move. Similar contractual constraints bind the drivers at Mercedes and Ferrari, meaning that, unless Verstappen opts to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2027, his short‑term alternatives appear limited. Given the normal practice of a top driver’s management scouting potential opportunities, Sky Sports F1 asked Mekies at the Belgian Grand Prix whether Red Bull itself had been approached by other drivers on the grid.
"It works both ways," Mekies answered. "It's completely natural – Max gets calls from everyone because he's the best driver in the world, and likewise, a top team like ours receives interest from many good drivers. That's just the way it is." When pressed about whether these enquiries distract the team, Mekies dismissed the notion. "Not really.
Our full concentration is on extracting the maximum speed from the car, keeping the world’s best driver with us, and developing the talent of Isack Hadjar alongside Max. That combination is ideal for us, and we aim to preserve it." Mekies expressed confidence that Red Bull will continue to narrow the remaining performance gap to the front of the grid, building on the progress made since the new technical regulations were introduced. After a substantial upgrade to the RB22 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. Hadjar, who started 21st in the Belgian race, impressively climbed to sixth place, marking his sixth consecutive top‑six finish.
"All we need to do is keep developing the car," Mekies said. "We began the season more than a second off the pace – which was expected given the delayed title push last year and the challenges of the new power unit.
Since then we've trimmed that deficit to the last two or three tenths, and that's where our focus lies now." He added that when a driver feels a whole second behind the leaders, frustration sets in for both the car and the driver. "Max feels that too, and we know it's not a position we can accept long‑term. The goal is to shave those final tenths off, and everyone is dedicated to that mission." Red Bull has experienced considerable turnover among key personnel over the past two seasons, including the departure of several figures linked to earlier championship triumphs.
Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is set to join McLaren no later than 2028, adding another layer of change. When asked how this transitional period aligns with the aim of retaining Verstappen, Mekies simplified the answer: "At the end of the day it’s all about speed. Red Bull Racing has a single objective – to win – and that aligns perfectly with Max’s own goal. It's not about proving we can win; we are already winning.
The same core team that orchestrated last year’s remarkable turnaround is still here, and they have already reclaimed nearly a second from our rivals. Now we are in the hard part of the battle, chasing those last few tenths, which are the toughest to extract. Our job is to stay united and keep delivering the best results." The Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with every session available to stream via NOW. As the sport heads into its summer break, the narrative surrounding Verstappen’s contract and Red Bull’s driver recruitment will continue to evolve, but Mekies’ message is clear: the team’s priority is relentless development, maintaining its champion driver, and nurturing emerging talent to ensure they remain at the front of the pack.