“I’m saying that there’s nothing to say because there’s nothing going on.”
That was Max Verstappen’s answer at the Hungaroring on Thursday when reporters again pressed him on his Red Bull future.
Twelve months on from the last Hungarian Grand Prix, when he committed to Red Bull for 2026 and shut down the Mercedes talk, Verstappen refused to do the same for 2027.
He said he was “feeling good” and would rather talk about the RB22 than the driver market: “I’m just focused on trying to get the most out of the car,” he told reporters.
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Red Bull’s recent trajectory, he added, has moved in the right direction. “It’s definitely on an upward trend, so that’s good to see.”
He described the squad as “a second family.”
Mekies optimistic about Verstappen stay
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies took the same line publicly. Asked about the driver market, he pointed out that the traffic goes both ways:
“It’s completely natural Max gets called from everyone because he’s the best driver in the world and, equally, if you are a top team, you are going to get calls from many of these good drivers around as well.”
His fix for the speculation is technical, not contractual.
“The best way to close the subject is to go and get these last two or three tenths,” Mekies said.
Red Bull’s deficit to the front, he added, has narrowed from more than a second at the start of the season to that gap after recent upgrades.
Verstappen’s realistic alternatives are also shrinking. Mercedes and Ferrari have both locked in their 2027 lineups, and McLaren boss Zak Brown has said publicly: “I’ve got my two drivers.”
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Verstappen still winless in 2026
The pressure comes from performance, not politics. Verstappen has yet to win a race in 2026, and Red Bull is arguably only the fourth-fastest package on the grid, trailing Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren.
The four-time world champion is under contract through the end of 2028, but that deal contains performance clauses that have kept the paddock guessing all season.
He has until roughly mid-October to trigger any move, according to Yahoo Sports. A third-place podium at Spa before the break was one of only three rostrum finishes he has managed this year.
Antonelli leads before summer break
The Hungarian GP is the last race before the summer shutdown. Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings by 50 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton 45 points back, per Motorsport.com’s preview.
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The Hungaroring’s slow-to-medium speed corners are expected to favour Ferrari, and Aston Martin arrives with what is essentially a B-spec chassis. Red Bull’s own upgrades will be watched for whether Mekies’ “two or three tenths” claim holds up.
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