‘We’re looking to the future’ – Verstappen reflects on the possibility of staying at Red Bull

Max Verstappen has shared the processes that he is working on with Red Bull to improve their performance for this and future seasons, but refused to confirm whether he has reached a decision about remaining with the team.

The Dutchman has raced for the Milton Keynes-based outfit for 10 years, securing four titles between 2021 and 2024, but their dominance has since faltered and they have struggled to deliver a consistent challenger under the new regulations.

Reliability issues and unexpected crashes – including two influenced by the rear wing in Austria and Great Britain – have left Red Bull behind the frontrunners, causing speculation about Verstappen fulfilling his contract that extends to 2028.

He has been linked with a move to McLaren, but insisted ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix that “there’s nothing to say” about the reports, adding: “I don't want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

Verstappen instead focused on the work going on behind the scenes to ensure that problems like the one that ended his British Grand Prix won’t happen again, explaining that everyone at Red Bull’s base is collaborating to take them back to the top.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that's an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That's how I've been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.

“People come and go – I think that's sometimes also part of the process. Sometimes you want people to stay potentially, yes, but I think that's just how life is, how sport is as well. You just have to carry on, try to find new talents. That's what you look at all the time and that's what we do.”

Although Verstappen is yet to confirm his exact long-term plans, one potential avenue for the Dutchman’s future is working with junior drivers – he recently signed Dries Van Langendonck, who is part of McLaren’s development programme, to his own racing team with the goal of supporting the 15-year-old’s journey to F1.

Asked how he will work alongside the youngster and McLaren, Verstappen said: “Dries has been a big talent for a long time already in go-karting and I think you can spot quite quickly when someone is a little bit more special than someone else, and I think that has carried on with what he's doing right now in Formula 4.

“That's why I think it's just very exciting to try and help him, guide him. Of course, hand in hand from McLaren’s side as well, to make the right decisions for his future.

“I mean, he wants to get to Formula 1 and I'm just trying to make sure that will happen in the future. It's just honestly a very exciting project to be part of.”