Former Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde has suggested Max Verstappen could depart Red Bull Racing before team principal Laurent Mekies, according to reporting from GPToday.
The comments from van der Garde, who raced in F1 with Caterham in 2013, address the ongoing speculation about Verstappen’s long-term future with the Milton Keynes-based team. Verstappen currently drives alongside Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull for the 2026 season.
Context of Speculation
Van der Garde’s prediction touches on a subject that has persisted in the F1 paddock since Red Bull’s internal upheaval in 2024. Christian Horner was dismissed as team principal in July 2024, with Laurent Mekies taking over the role. That leadership change, combined with technical regulation changes for 2026, has fueled questions about driver stability at top teams.
Verstappen holds a contract with Red Bull that extends beyond the current season, but F1 contracts have proven malleable in recent years when performance or team dynamics shift. Lewis Hamilton’s surprise move from Mercedes to Ferrari starting in 2025 demonstrated how quickly the driver market can pivot, even for established championship contenders at legacy teams.
The 2026 regulation overhaul represents the most substantial technical reset in modern F1 history. New chassis regulations combine with new power units running approximately 50 percent electric power and active aerodynamics. Teams that dominated under the previous formula offer no guarantee of continued success under the new rules package.
Red Bull’s 2026 Position
Red Bull enters the 2026 season facing its first full campaign under Mekies’ leadership. The team must prove its technical prowess translates to the new regulatory framework while managing a driver lineup that pairs the sport’s most decorated active champion with Tsunoda, who joined Red Bull’s senior team after years in the junior AlphaTauri/RB program.
Van der Garde’s assessment that Verstappen might exit before Mekies implies a scenario where the driver market moves faster than team management structures. Team principals typically enjoy longer tenures than drivers when performance remains acceptable, but the specific dynamics at Red Bull following Horner’s departure make direct historical comparisons difficult.
The Dutchman’s comments arrive as the 2026 season progresses, with teams now operating under the new technical regulations. Early-season performance data will provide the first concrete evidence of which teams successfully navigated the regulation change and which face rebuilding efforts.
Verstappen has won multiple world championships with Red Bull, but his future will depend on the team’s competitiveness under the 2026 rules. The next race weekend will offer further insight into Red Bull’s performance level relative to rivals including Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and new entrants Audi and Cadillac.