Will the FIA and F1's decision make a difference for Verstappen?

Continuing to race for Red Bull in 2026 or not? That has been the big question that the Verstappen camp has been dealing with for a while. The decision to leave Red Bull after the season (if that opportunity arises) depends, of course, on various factors. The most important is the future perspective at the racing team.

In the last year, Max Verstappen has not been particularly convinced that the engineers - despite all good intentions - are capable of coming up with technical ideas that make the car better balanced and faster than the competition. GPblog has regularly heard in recent months: if they can't do it now, what would make it work for ‘26?

Moreover, there is considerable doubt in the Verstappen camp about the strength and reliability of the Red Bull Powertrains, the engines developed and built by Red Bull for the coming season. It is taken into account that this power unit is not competitive, at least not in comparison to the Mercedes engines, which are rated higher by the Dutch camp.

But at the last moment, everything could suddenly change. The FIA and Formula 1 have decided to apply a refinement in the ratio between the battery and the combustion engine in the power unit. Where it was originally 50-50, a larger part of the performance will now come from the combustion engine.

This is good news, as exactly that battery was the problem child for Red Bull. And the more the power unit relies on the combustion engine, the smaller the performance differences between the teams are likely to be. Verstappen, therefore, would arguably have less to worry about regarding the Red Bull Powertrain, as there is a good chance that an equalization will occur in terms of engines.

Could this be what ultimately convinces Verstappen? Only time will undoubtedly tell.