Overview

• Max Verstappen publicly confirmed on media day at the Hungarian Grand Prix that he will race for Red Bull in 2026 after his summer exit clause became void due to his high standings.
• Former F1 driver Martin Brundle dismissed the surge of Mercedes transfer rumors as clickbait and called Verstappen’s decision to stay “absolutely” the right call.
• Guenther Steiner said next year’s sweeping chassis and engine regulations will reveal the strongest teams and that Verstappen could reconsider his options if Mercedes emerges on top.
• Red Bull will run its first in-house power unit developed with Ford under the new 2026 technical rules, a project expected to face initial reliability challenges.
• With Verstappen’s seat secured, Red Bull must now decide on a teammate for 2026, with junior driver Isack Hadjar viewed as the frontrunner amid uncertain futures for Yuki Tsunoda and Arvid Lindblad.