Max Verstappen F1: Marko has doubts about whether the Red Bull driver will serve his contract until 2028

Adrian Newey has announced his retirement from Red Bull Racing. Helmut Marko regrets the impending departure of the chief designer and chief technology officerand admits that he now also has doubts about Max Verstappen’s future at the Austrian racing team.

While Red Bull is supreme on the track, there seem to have been problems off the circuit for months. There is trouble at the energy drink manufacturer due to a power struggle centered on accusations against team boss Christian Horner about inappropriate behavior towards a female colleague. Since then, there have been rumors that Verstappen is considering a move to Mercedes, and Newey has now made his departure official. While Horner is clear that there is no clause in Verstappen’s contract that allows the Dutchman to leave the team earlier than the end of 2028 due to the departure of a top executive like Newey, chief advisor Marko is not yet certain about the future of the three-time world champion.

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Doubts about Verstappen, but not about the technical team

“Max goes to the team where he can get the best technical package,” Marko said opposite Sky Sports Deutschland. “I am currently sure that this is with Red Bull Racing. In addition, there will be no different regulations next year, so I assume that he will still drive for us next year.” The emphasis seems to be placed mainly on the three words ‘in any case’ in Marko’s statement. The man from Graz did not respond to the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons.

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Newey described Marko’s departure as “painful” because “he is the best designer in F1. He was someone who was respected, especially as a human being. If we had a question or a technical problem, he always made time for it. ” He has no concerns about Red Bull’s technical team. “At the same time, we have a big team led by Pierre Waché. There is enough young talent, so I don’t think we will lag behind when it comes to performance,” Marko concluded.

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