Red Bull 2026 talk swirls around Verstappen

BBC Sport and Motorsport.com report fresh Red Bull market speculation around Max Verstappen, while no move has been confirmed for 2026.

Fresh Red Bull driver-market speculation is being reported around Max Verstappen, but no move has been confirmed. BBC Sport said its Chequered Flag podcast discussed how likely a switch to Mercedes might be, while Motorsport.com reported that Verstappen’s radio complaints and holiday photos with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added to paddock speculation rather than confirming any deal.

Verstappen is sixth in the 2026 drivers' championship on 109 points and has 71 wins, 51 poles and 129 podiums from 242 Formula 1 starts. Separate Motorsport.com reporting also said Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane urged Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad to study Verstappen’s radio traffic, keeping the Dutchman at the centre of Red Bull-linked discussion.

Isack Hadjar remains part of the wider Red Bull conversation only in that context, not through any confirmed move in the supplied reports. The French driver is eighth in the standings on 68 points after 33 starts across 2025 and 2026, with one podium and a best result of third.