Verstappen: Change is not only because I need a faster F1 car

Verstappen endured a tough season with Red Bull Racing in 2025 with an uncompetitive and unpredictable car, and it wasn't until Laurent Mekies took over after Christian Horner's firing that the team managed to turn things around.

And while the four-time F1 Champion managed to claw back a 104-point deficit, he fell short by two points at the end and as such did not manage to secure a fifth Title, losing out to McLaren's Lando Norris.

All that has put Verstappen's future with Red Bull in the spotlight, especially with the new era of regulations in 2026, which will see the Milton Keynes squad produce their own F1 engine for the first time with Ford, while their upcoming car will be the first one not to be designed by Adrian Newey, who is now over at Aston Martin.

During the season, with speculations around Verstappen's future rife, he was linked to Mercedes, who waited quite a bit before confirming George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2026, coincidentally after the Red Bull ace announced his commitment to his team.

There were also rumors that Aston Martin were willing to pay an eye-watering amount to lure Verstappen, but for now he remains with Red Bull, as he will have the chance to analyze the landscape of the new era in 2026 before making his decision.

However, Verstappen insists his decision will depend on many factors; he told BBC Sport: "For me, it's not only about F1. There's a lot of things that have to come together for me to make a change. Future roles, stuff like that.

“So if I ever would make a change, of course, it's a big one for me because this definitely feels like a second family, and that's not easy to replicate, let's say, like that.

"The change, if I would ever make one, it's not only because I need a faster F1 car or I need a difference in the environment.

"There's a lot of things that are around my F1 career and things that I'm doing outside of F1 that all have to come together," the 28-year-old maintained.

When quizzed on whether the talks with other teams were serious, he added: "I'm not going to lie. For sure, there were talks.

"But at the same time, it was all very friendly and open. Nothing more than that," he insisted in conclusion.