Mintzlaff doubles down: Verstappen will end his career at Red Bull — performance clauses or not
If you were waiting for any sign that Max Verstappen’s future might drift away from Milton Keynes, Oliver Mintzlaff isn’t playing along.
Red Bull’s chief executive of corporate projects and new investments says he has “no doubt” Verstappen will retire a Red Bull driver, brushing aside talk of escape hatches and 2027 exits as the sport stares down the 2026 power unit reset.
“I’m not afraid of any performance clause in his contract,” Mintzlaff told De Telegraaf, leaning into the message Red Bull’s pushed all winter: Verstappen’s loyalty is built on effort, trust and a car worthy of him. “The most important thing for an athlete is that he sees everyone in the team giving their all for him. Max sees it. He’s impressed by the results and the atmosphere this year.”
Verstappen, a four-time world champion, is under contract through 2028. That didn’t stop a noisy summer round of gossip linking him to Mercedes, including George Russell’s eyebrow-raising claim in Austria that “ongoing” discussions with Verstappen were delaying his own deal. Verstappen cooled the fire before the Hungarian Grand Prix, and Russell later inked fresh terms at Brackley, but the speculation never fully died. The 2026 rules were always going to keep it alive.
That’s the crux. In 2026, Red Bull builds its own F1 engines for the first time under the Red Bull Powertrains banner in partnership with Ford. It’s a huge swing from an energy drink brand — Mintzlaff calls it a “unique step” — and the paddock’s been clear-eyed about the size of that mountain.
Even inside Red Bull’s orbit there have been cautionary notes. Christian Horner said at Silverstone it would be “embarrassing” to expect the newcomer to turn up and immediately outgun the manufacturers. Others in the Red Bull family, including Laurent Mekies later in the season, warned it would be “silly” to assume parity from day one. That realism hasn’t changed the goal; it’s grounded it.
Verstappen’s camp hasn’t shied away from putting 2026 at the center of his long-term picture. His manager Raymond Vermeulen called it “a very important year” that could shape where Max races into the late 2020s. Whispered talk of gentlemen’s agreements and soft landings naturally followed.
Mintzlaff isn’t entertaining escape routes. “As long as Max feels we’re doing everything we can, he will remain loyal,” he said. “He sees how much we’ve invested in our own engine. There’s enormous mutual appreciation and loyalty. For me, there is no doubt that Max will end his career at Red Bull.”
He also pushed back on the familiar suggestion that Verstappen and his entourage are calling the shots at the factory. “That’s nonsense. All agreements are clear and he has never made a single request to me,” Mintzlaff said. “Max knows what he wants — he’s the best driver in the world — but there’s only one boss here and that’s Red Bull. He’s not a diva.”
That autonomy has extended to Verstappen sampling other disciplines. He scratched a long-standing itch by racing GT machinery on the Nürburgring Nordschleife this year, the kind of extracurricular activity that many teams would balk at. Mintzlaff, though, framed it as part of the trust. “I can’t speak for other teams. What I see and feel is that Max is old and wise enough to emphasise what he wants himself. When I talk to him, I hear that his goal is to end his career with us.”
If 2026 is the looming variable, Mintzlaff says Red Bull’s depth makes the bet worth taking. “No one knows — maybe we’ll be the second or third team,” he added. “We have extremely talented people. It’s not just the engine, it’s also the chassis. There will always be staff leaving when a competitor makes a good offer. But many people see there is a different atmosphere here now — a winning, cool team that gives talent the opportunity to develop.”
The undertone is clear: Red Bull believes its culture will carry it through the risk of building a new power unit. The brass tacks of Verstappen’s contract help, but Mintzlaff’s message is more personal than legal. Keep the car fast, keep the driver heard, and the rest takes care of itself.
He even floated a post-driving future. “If he ever stops racing — I hope not too soon — I hope he’ll stay with us in another role. His knowledge and feel for a car are so special, and he can discuss things with engineers at a very high level. That makes him unique.”
For now, Verstappen’s present and Red Bull’s future remain tightly intertwined. The stopwatch in 2026 will have a say. But from Mintzlaff’s seat, the biggest prize of all — Verstappen’s signature, long-term — is already on the table, and staying there.
