Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has predicted that Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull Racing, citing a shortage of viable alternatives in Formula 1.
Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast on July 8, 2026, Steiner explained that top teams like Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari have already secured their driver lineups, leaving the four-time world champion with limited choices unless he accepts a significant pay cut.
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Verstappen's Internal Challenges
According to Steiner, Verstappen's biggest issues are within his own team rather than external contract negotiations.
"I think his bigger problem at the moment is with Red Bull, because of what happened in the last two races," Steiner said.
"Of course he doesn't like the regulations, we don't need to repeat that again. He is not happy with the engine rules and things like that," he added.
Steiner also commented on the recent Silverstone race, suggesting that Formula 1 authorities could have managed engine regulations more effectively to reduce visible performance fluctuations.
"They could perhaps have been a bit more drastic at Silverstone by lowering the power a bit further," Steiner explained.
"Then you would have had less of that yo-yo effect. It was visible, but not very bad.
Was it beautiful? Not really.
But was it bad? Not really either," he stated.
Limited Market Options
When asked about a potential departure from Red Bull, Steiner questioned where Verstappen could realistically go given his high salary expectations and performance demands.
