Dream of Red Bull for life still there - Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen insists his dream remains to stay with Red Bull until the end of his career, despite all the recent speculation linking him to Mercedes.

"I have to say, the Red Bull family is great. We've been together for a long time and I still like it," the four-time world champion told Sky Deutschland in Baku.

"I've always said that I would like to drive here until the end. That has always been the dream, and it's still there."

It follows the conclusion of the Christian Horner saga, but Verstappen admits the team faces a major challenge when its in-house engine arrives in 2026.

"Next year won't be easy with our own engine, but that's also a new risk for Red Bull, which is nice," he said.

Dr Helmut Marko told Austria’s Osterreich newspaper that Monza’s pole and win proved Red Bull is heading in the right direction under new team boss Laurent Mekies.

"That won't work at every track, Singapore, for example, simply doesn’t suit us," he warned. "I’m all the more excited to see if the upward trend will be confirmed in Baku."

Former Mercedes chief Norbert Haug believes Verstappen could yet fight for the 2025 crown.

"I actually consider that absolutely realistic," he told DPA. "Anyone who witnessed Verstappen's dominant victory at Monza knows this was no track-specific one-off."

Adding to Verstappen’s upbeat mood is Red Bull’s approval for him to contest the 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours. "Helmut is looking forward to it," he smiled. "He knows how passionate I am about it and how much I invest in it."

Rivals, meanwhile, are impressed. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman said: "I hope that I'll reach a point in my career where I can simply drive whatever I want - out of pure passion. He's probably the best driver there has ever been. It’s so cool that he just goes to the Nordschleife and delivers."