Max Verstappen is unlikely to be Formula 1 world champion in 2026 in a message that came through clearly from Laurent Mekies during Red Bull’s launch event in Detroit.
Mekies has acknowledged that Red Bull, set to debut their first F1 power unit this season, will “struggle” during the early months of the campaign, a reality that likely puts Verstappen out of the championship conversation.
“We are not naive,” he said. “We know it’s going to come with a fair amount of struggle, a fair amount of headache and sleepless nights, but that’s exactly what we are here for.”
“We have the confidence of having put together an amazing group of people, an amazing group of partners, and we’ll go through the struggle, we’ll eventually come out on top.”
“Bear with us in the first few months, and I think these initial difficulties will be a good reminder of how much we went through to eventually get on top.”
Max Verstappen has already indicated that he will be patient with Red Bull
Verstappen has held talks with Mercedes and there have been suggestions that he could look to leave Red Bull if they struggle under the new regulations. His run of four consecutive titles came to an end last year as a staggering comeback from 104 points behind fell just short.
But the Dutchman has already taken the pressure off the team. In a recent interview with Blick, Verstappen said he ‘intends to fulfil’ his Red Bull contract, which runs until the end of 2028.
He added that he’s ‘ruling out a team change’, which strongly suggests he will be patient with the new project, provided he has a chance of contending in 2027 or ’28.
Verstappen wants to finish his career with Red Bull after they built one of the most successful partnerships in F1 history. Only a dramatic and sustained loss of competitiveness could drive him out of the door.
Verstappen Unlikely to Use His 2026 Exit Clause
Verstappen’s deal includes clauses linked to where he stands in the championship. One of them allows him to walk away if he’s not inside the top two halfway through the 2026 season. With Red Bull expected to be off the pace early on, that scenario is a real possibility.
Still, Verstappen doesn’t seem interested in taking advantage of it. That’s likely to give the entire team a bit of reassurance as they head into what could be a difficult stretch.
It raises the question of whether Mekies intended all along to use this moment, one of his most high-profile appearances of the off-season, to temper expectations and take some heat off his team.
If Red Bull are struggling early, Verstappen and his team might have to hope that other teams split points between them. The general belief is that Mercedes have built the best power unit so far, which could set up a tight race with McLaren as well.
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