Verstappen remains the 'core of the project' at Red Bull, according to the team principal.

      "Max experienced the same level of frustration as we did."

      Max Verstappen is fully dedicated to Red Bull, despite increasing speculation regarding his future, as stated by team principal Laurent Mekies. Speaking with AFP during the Grand Prix De France Historique at Paul Ricard, Mekies dismissed the mounting rumors linking Verstappen to Mercedes, Aston Martin, or a surprising departure from Formula 1. "Max is central to the project," the Frenchman asserted. "He is engaged with us on all matters. He participates in all our strategic decisions for the future. He will continue with us, regardless of the circumstances."

      Mekies acknowledged Verstappen’s frustrations earlier this season, particularly following Red Bull's disappointing performance at the beginning of the new and controversial regulations. "Verstappen felt just as frustrated as we did regarding the car’s performance in the first three Grands Prix and the early challenges of the 2026 regulations. He made that very clear," Mekies noted. However, he indicated that the situation is already on the upswing. "We recently celebrated Max's decade at Red Bull Racing. As long as we, as a team, continue to provide him with a competitive car, you'll see Max happy."

      "The rest is merely the typical buzz in Formula 1, which shifts depending on whether it’s a good or bad weekend." The speculation surrounding Verstappen arises amid increasing attention to his growing GT and endurance racing activities outside of Formula 1. This weekend, the Dutch driver will debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours in a Red Bull-branded Mercedes-AMG GT3.

      This development has created a somewhat uncomfortable scenario for Red Bull's Formula 1 engine partner, Ford. Ford Racing chief Mark Rushbrook acknowledged that the company would prefer Verstappen to race Ford vehicles instead. "Naturally, we prefer our Ford drivers to compete in Ford," Rushbrook commented during the WEC 6-hour race at Spa. "We understand his choice - we appreciate his enthusiasm and character, whether in sim racing or other contexts. It enhances his abilities because it suits him right now, but we would certainly love to see him in a Ford."

      He shared that Ford has already started discussions about future endurance projects with Verstappen, including a potential Le Mans entry once the manufacturer rejoins the Hypercar class. "We've been in conversations with him for over three years," Rushbrook disclosed. "It’s just a question of identifying the right opportunity, and I believe everything could align. He seems enthusiastic and interested."

      He added: "We would be thrilled to see it happen. However, for that to come to fruition, a lot of factors would need to align. It would undoubtedly be incredibly exciting for us and for motorsport." Rushbrook mentioned that Verstappen recently had the opportunity to test a Ford Mustang GTD. "Max is an exceptional driver. We enjoy collaborating in Formula 1, and we recently allowed him to drive a Mustang GTD at Grand Sambuc," he stated. "We've already engaged in several projects with him."