While rumors of Max Verstappen’s departure continue to fuel the paddock, his manager Raymond Vermeulen wanted to clarify the position of the four-time world champion and his entourage.
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The future of Max Verstappen continues to generate a lot of speculation, but his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, wanted to set things straight.
As rumors of a possible departure from Red Bull have been multiplying for several weeks, the representative of the Dutch driver assures that the goal remains unchanged: to honor the contract that binds Verstappen to the Austrian team until the end of 2028.
These statements come in a particularly delicate context for Red Bull, struggling since the start of the 2026 F1 season.
A difficult season fueling rumors
For his eleventh season under the Red Bull colors, Max Verstappen is going through one of the most challenging periods of his career with the Milton Keynes team.
The British Grand Prix notably intensified the questions. The Dutchman was forced to retire after another problem with his rotating rear wing, a failure already observed a week earlier in Austria. A new incident that has strengthened speculation about his future.
Rumors grew even more when a photo showing Raymond Vermeulen and Jos Verstappen with Helmut Marko in Amsterdam circulated in the media, some seeing it as a decisive meeting regarding the future of the four-time world champion.
“It was a private meeting”
Interviewed by the Austrian media OE24, Raymond Vermeulen nevertheless wanted to downplay this meeting.
“It was a private meeting that had been planned for a long time” he explained.
Verstappen’s manager also clarified the context of this trip.
“Besides, Max’s sister got married.”
According to him, this meeting should therefore not be interpreted as a negotiation about the driver’s future.
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Verstappen wants to stay until 2028
Raymond Vermeulen then responded to the many rumors about an early departure of his driver, despite the difficulties faced by Red Bull this season.
“A lot is being written about this” he declared.
“But the truth is that Max wants to finish his adventure at Red Bull. He has a contract until 2028 and he wants to honor it.”
A statement that contrasts with the many speculations linking Verstappen to several rival teams in recent weeks.
The exit clause is not a goal
Max Verstappen’s contract does include a performance clause that could allow him to leave Red Bull under certain circumstances. However, Vermeulen insists that its existence does not mean it will be used.
“The fact that this clause exists does not mean we will activate it” he affirmed.
The manager also reminds that this possibility existed before without ever being exploited.
“We could have also activated it in recent years, and we did not.”
Despite the sporting difficulties faced by Red Bull and the many transfer rumors, the message sent by the Verstappen camp is therefore clear: at this stage, the four-time world champion remains fully committed to the Austrian team and intends, barring major changes, to see out his current contract.
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