F1 News
Marko unsure about Verstappen's Red Bull future amid Mercedes rumours
Helmut Marko has not responded convincingly to Zak Brown's rumour that Max Verstappen will drive for Mercedes after this season, saying the Dutchman would "like to have a car that he can win with." The 82-year-old was asked after sprint qualifying whether Red Bull knows how to keep Verstappen for next season.
Verstappen switch rumours intrigue the paddock
Brown was asked about his view of next year's driver market in an interview with the British media earlier this week. In this conversation, the McLaren CEO indicated that he is convinced that Verstappen will not race for Red Bull in 2026, but for Mercedes. Father Jos Verstappen then revealed that none of the rumours are true and that the American was just "stirring" rumours.
When asked about these rumours on Sky Sports Germany, Marko said: "Max would like to have a car that he can win with, which, of course, has to do with performance. If we can't do that, then it will be difficult. But, of course, this is only the second race. In Melbourne, we had, maybe with a bit of luck, second place. It's not as black and white as Zak sees it."
Verstappen qualified in second place this morning for tomorrow's sprint race, while Lewis Hamilton surprisingly managed to grab pole position. The sprint race of the Chinese Grand Prix will take place at 03:00 tonight, with the main race starting at 07:00 UK time on Sunday.
This article was written in collaboration with Hidde Korte
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