Mekies admits uncertainty over Red Bull keeping Verstappen

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has admitted there remains uncertainty over whether four-time world champion Max Verstappen will remain with the team next season.

The Dutchman is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028 but is understood to have an exit clause in his deal that would allow him to join another team in 2027 should he be outside the top two positions in the Drivers' Championship at the start of this season's summer break in August.

Despite widely being considered as the best driver on the grid, Verstappen has been able to secure just one podium finish across the first seven rounds of the season due to Red Bull's lack of performance, and sits seventh in the standings - 60 points behind second-placed Lewis Hamilton.

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Red Bull have brought a major upgrade package to this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, and Mekies appeared to accept that the new parts would need to produce progress to help convince Verstappen to commit for another year.

Speaking to the media between Friday's two practice sessions in Spielberg, Mekies said: "Max wants a fast car, [he] always wanted a fast car. He completely trusts us in making sure we are doing everything we can, short-term and long-term, to ensure we return to success and continuous success.

"We look at the results on the tracks, that's the only thing that matters. Hopefully the results will improve rapidly."

Mekies warned that Red Bull's latest upgrade package, which follows an earlier raft of changes for the Miami Grand Prix at the start of May, shouldn't be judged on this weekend alone, with the team potentially requiring time to get the best out of their new parts.

He said: "We started [the season] very far away. We have done that step in Miami four races ago that left us as you said around the four or five tenths threshold, which on some tracks allows us to fight for podium and on some tracks that has not allowed us to fight for podium.

"Regardless of Max, that's not what we are here to do. We completely know that that we need more steps. This weekend is quite a crucial step to try to get much closer and try to fight for bigger positions.

"It doesn't mean that everything will be resolved this weekend. It means that we will need a bit of time to get that package to work, it's very large.

"Whether that is influencing a timing of discussions with Max, honestly, no. Max knows very well how much a Formula 1 team needs to absorb one second of deficit to competition.

"We hope we can get out of this weekend and be within the last two or three tenths from the competition, which I think in the number of races [that have happened] is a remarkable progression.

"That's what matters at the moment, that we are able to close that gap continuously, and I'm sure that's the most important factor for us."

'I'm not asking Max every week if he's going to stay!'

Mekies was later pushed on whether Verstappen had "given his word" that he will remain with the team next season but insisted he isn't pressuring the Dutchman on the situation.

"I'm not asking Max every week if he's going to stay," Mekies said. "Max has made clear to us that he wants to continue with the team. It's equally clear that he needs a fast car for him to be happy with the team.

"He has been vocal about the progress that we need to have on the regulations. We are in the fortunate situation for the sport, where there has been a very open session between the FIA, F1, the teams, and we have managed to tweak this regulation for 2027 and 2028. I think it's great, not only for Max, but it's great for the fast drivers, and it's great for the sport.

"We are not asking Max every week. He is there, he's pushing with us, is helping us to find the right development paths for the car.

"In Friday practice, he was doing very large tests, scans to try to turn all the stones possible. It's not the topic for us. The topic for us is get the car back to where we want it to be and if the car is back where we want it to be, there will be no discussion."

Verstappen has long been linked with a move to Mercedes, but more recently speculation has grown over a switch to McLaren, especially following confirmation his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is joining the Woking squad in 2028.

Asked once more what Red Bull need to show Verstappen to convince him to stay, Mekies added: "I'm convinced that Max wants to see continuous progress. He knows very well that you don't go from one second [deficit] to zero in no time.

"But he wants to see that path to continue to improve. I think it's only about overall lap time, so if we can close that gap to only a couple of tenths, it would mean that we still keep having the gap to competition, and hopefully we will be in striking range soon."

Sky Sports F1's live Austrian GP schedule

Saturday June 27
9am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Austrian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: AUSTRIAN GP QUALIFYING*
5pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook

Sunday June 28
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: F2 Feature Race
10.50am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Austrian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Austrian GP reaction: Chequered Flag
5pm: Ted's Notebook

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1's European season continues with the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime