Verstappen predicts Mercedes will set the pace under 2026 rules

Max Verstappen admits he expects Mercedes to emerge strongest when Formula 1’s new technical regulations take effect next year.

Toto Wolff was widely believed to have made serious attempts to lure the four-time world champion to Brackley, yet Verstappen opted to remain with Red Bull despite Christian Horner’s exit and uncertainty surrounding the team’s home-built power unit project.

"Next year won't be easy with our own engine, of course," Verstappen told Sky Deutschland. "That's a new risk for Red Bull, but they also took that risk by entering Formula 1, and they didn't do a bad job."

He declined to dismiss comparisons with Mercedes’ dominance at the start of the 2014 hybrid era. "It's difficult to say," Verstappen added. "I do believe Mercedes will be at the front. They're always there and always strong. They're a top company, so I do believe they'll be at the front, especially when it comes to the engine."

Nevertheless, he stressed that Red Bull remains fully focused on the challenge ahead. "We're definitely giving it our all. I hope we're close, but of course I don't know." During a separate interview with Viaplay over the Singapore GP weekend, Verstappen was asked about Red Bull’s recent performance rebound following Horner’s departure and Laurent Mekies’ arrival.

Asked whether a specific factor had changed, he smiled: "Yes. But nobody needs to know that." When the interviewer apologised for pressing further, Verstappen replied: "Yeah, that's fine. It doesn't matter, because I'm not going to say anything. The important thing is that we perform better."

Though still mathematically in the title race, Verstappen concedes a fifth consecutive drivers’ crown is improbable. "I'm not that worried about it," he said. "I already have a lot of things on my mind, which I also enjoy. I just show up at the circuit and do my best. Maybe there's a chance. I'm trying to make the most of it, but I'm not worried about it."