Verstappen unfazed by Red Bull departures but keeping his future plans undefined

Max Verstappen offered no update regarding his future ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, but indicated he was not concerned by the number of personnel departing from Red Bull.

Four-time world champion Verstappen’s future has been the center of speculation since the Austrian Grand Prix, with links to McLaren continuing to cast doubt over whether he will remain with Red Bull. While Oscar Piastri’s manager Mark Webber recently reiterated the Australian’s long-term commitment to McLaren, Verstappen says there is no deadline relating to his own situation.

“Nope, there’s nothing to say from my side,” Verstappen said, before reiterating those comments when asked if that meant he was fully committed to Red Bull.

“OK, I don’t want to [sit] here and say yes and no, and this and that, about my future. I’ve said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself. Thank you.”

Following his frustration over his Silverstone retirement, Verstappen downplayed what his post-race comments meant in terms of his wider view of Red Bull, following senior trackside control engineer Michael Manning’s move to a chief engineering role at Williams.

“We’re just looking to the future, trying to fix the current issues that we have on the car, but that’s a very open discussion," he said. "Sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but, for example, after Silverstone you go home, you reset. On Wednesday, I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead.

“That’s how we’ve been operating all the years together. Of course, some years you’re just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.

“People come and go. I think that’s sometimes also part of the process. Sometimes you want people to stay, potentially, yes, but I think that’s just how life is and how sport is as well. You just have to carry on and try to find new talent. That’s what you also look at all the time, and that’s what we do.”