Why Steiner was not surprised with Verstappen's decision to stay at Red Bull

08:57, 12 Aug

byTobia Elia

Guenther Steiner said he’s not surprised by Max Verstappen’s decision to stay with Red Bull for next season, although he acknowledges that things could change again in 2027.

Despite a season marked by ups and downs and driving a car that hasn’t allowed him to fight for a fifth consecutive title against the two McLarens, Max Verstappen has decided to stay with Red Bull in 2026, putting an end to weeks of speculation about a possible move to Mercedes.

"It's quite interesting to follow all that and the amount of nice stories that came out of it,'' he told media, including GPBlog, in Hungary.

''I've never really said anything about it, because I was just focused on talking to the team about how we can improve our performance, future ideas for next year as well, and that's why I had nothing really to add ever."

Max Verstappen

Steiner not surprised by Verstappen's decision to stay at Red Bull

The Dutchman’s decision didn’t come as a surprise to Guenther Steiner, who believes staying in Milton Keynes was the most logical move.

''I think it's a very strategic decision on his part,'' the former Haas team principal said in an interview with web.de.

The Dutchman’s decision didn’t come as a surprise to Guenther Steiner, who believes staying in Milton Keynes was the most logical move.

According to the Italian-American, the four-time world champion will have the opportunity to assess his best options next year, and if Red Bull remains competitive, all the better.

''Max knows: At Red Bull, he has the option to leave at the end of 2026. This gives it maximum flexibility.''

''If Red Bull remains surprisingly strong, it is in exactly the right place. If not, he looks at who is in front and changes. If Mercedes is strong from 2026, he will get a multi-year contract there. A move now with a long-term contract would be riskier.''