Max Verstappen has dismissed concerns that he might consider leaving Red Bull, after last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix proved to be a turbulent day for the team.

It has also been suggested that Verstappen could take a year out in 2026, before returning to the track in 2027. This would allow him to assess the F1 landscape in the meantime before then picking a team for 2027 , according to reports by Andrew Benson, who has spoken to a member of his team, on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast.

Christian Horner has described stories linking Max Verstappen with a move away from Red Bull as "noise", and is adamant the four-time world champion will remain at the team in 2026.