Christian Horner has clarified that Max Verstappen will 'absolutely' be driving for Red Bull in the first race of the 2026 season, despite widespread speculation about a possible departure from the Milton Keynes squad. Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 campaign but reportedly has levers that he can use to escape his current terms, should the team fail to provide a car that can compete for Drivers' Championship titles.

This looks to be the case in 2025. After a miraculous victory from an unlikely pole position in Japan, Red Bull's fortunes took a turn for the worse. Verstappen was only able to salvage a P7 grid slot from qualifying in Bahrain, and he improved just one position in the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Horner was asked about the speculation after FP1 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He replied: “Noise is exactly the right word to describe it. There’s been a lot of noise outside of the team.

“Max reaffirmed his commitment yesterday. We are focused on making the car go faster, that’s where our focus is. Max is a part of that, he’s a committed member of the team. The rest is all speculation.”

When asked if Verstappen would be a Red Bull employee in Melbourne next season, he replied emphatically: "Yes, absolutely." Horner was then pressed about Helmut Marko's comments, after the team's advisor suggested there was genuine "concern" about losing his star driver.

“People will always have their concerns," Horner explained. "As a team, we are focused on sorting the car out. Sort the car out and it doesn’t even become a discussion point.”

If Verstappen calls time on his Red Bull career at the end of the 2025 season, Mercedes and Aston Martin are his most likely destinations. However, the Silver Arrows may decide against switching their line-up, with both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli highly rated by Toto Wolff.

Aston Martin are a more realistic option for the four-time world champion. Lawrence Stroll has already signed Adrian Newey and Honda, as an engine provider, making a theoretical transition much easier for Verstappen to stomach.