Verstappen acknowledges that Mercedes is likely to be at the forefront with the 2026 regulations.

Verstappen acknowledges that Mercedes is likely to be at the forefront with the 2026 regulations.

      "I truly believe Mercedes will be leading the way."

      Max Verstappen anticipates that Mercedes will have an advantage when the new regulations for Formula 1 come into effect next year. Although Toto Wolff made a strong effort to attract the four-time world champion, Verstappen ultimately decided to remain with Red Bull, despite Christian Horner's departure and the uncertainties surrounding the team's internal power unit project.

      "Next year will be challenging with our own engine, of course," Verstappen mentioned to Sky Deutschland. "That poses a new risk for Red Bull, but they accepted that risk by entering Formula 1, and they've performed quite well."

      He did not dismiss the possibility that Mercedes might dominate again, similar to their performance in 2014 when the hybrid rules were introduced. "It’s hard to say," Verstappen continued. "I truly believe Mercedes will be at the front. They are consistently strong and always competitive. They’re a leading company, so I do think they’ll be ahead, especially regarding the engine."

      Nonetheless, he emphasized that Red Bull is fully committed to the challenge. "We are definitely giving our all. I hope we will be close, but of course, I can’t be certain."

      In a separate interview with Viaplay during the Singapore GP weekend, Verstappen was asked about Red Bull's sudden performance improvement following Horner’s departure and Laurent Mekies’ arrival. When questioned if anything specific had changed, he smiled and said, "Yes. But nobody needs to know that."

      When the interviewer expressed regret for probing further, Verstappen replied, "That's fine. It doesn’t matter, because I’m not going to reveal anything. The key thing is that we’re performing better."

      While he is no longer entirely out of the championship race, Verstappen acknowledges that winning a fifth consecutive drivers’ title is unlikely. "I’m not too worried about it," he admitted. "I already have a lot on my plate that I enjoy. I just show up at the track and do my best. There may be a chance, and I’m trying to make the most of it, but I'm not concerned about it."

Verstappen acknowledges that Mercedes is likely to be at the forefront with the 2026 regulations.

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Nonetheless, he emphasized that Red Bull is fully committed to the challenge. "We are definitely giving our all. I hope we will be close, but of course, I can’t be certain." In a separate interview with Viaplay during the Singapore GP weekend, Verstappen was asked about Red Bull's sudden performance improvement following Horner’s departure and Laurent Mekies’ arrival. When questioned if anything specific had changed, he smiled and said, "Yes. But nobody needs to know that." When the interviewer expressed regret for probing further, Verstappen replied, "That's fine. It doesn’t matter, because I’m not going to reveal anything. The key thing is that we’re performing better." While he is no longer entirely out of the championship race, Verstappen acknowledges that winning a fifth consecutive drivers’ title is unlikely. "I’m not too worried about it," he admitted. "I already have a lot on my plate that I enjoy. I just show up at the track and do my best. 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They are consistently strong and always competitive. They’re a leading company, so I do think they’ll be ahead, especially regarding the engine." Nonetheless, he emphasized that Red Bull is fully committed to the challenge. "We are definitely giving our all. I hope we will be close, but of course, I can’t be certain." In a separate interview with Viaplay during the Singapore GP weekend, Verstappen was asked about Red Bull's sudden performance improvement following Horner’s departure and Laurent Mekies’ arrival. When questioned if anything specific had changed, he smiled and said, "Yes. But nobody needs to know that." When the interviewer expressed regret for probing further, Verstappen replied, "That's fine. It doesn’t matter, because I’m not going to reveal anything. The key thing is that we’re performing better." While he is no longer entirely out of the championship race, Verstappen acknowledges that winning a fifth consecutive drivers’ title is unlikely. "I’m not too worried about it," he admitted. "I already have a lot on my plate that I enjoy. I just show up at the track and do my best. There may be a chance, and I’m trying to make the most of it, but I'm not concerned about it." Formula 1 | Carlos Sainz feels that his ex-Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc is the quickest driver in Formula 1 regarding raw qualifying speed - even (…) Sainz agrees with Alonso in criticizing F1's fixation on celebrities. Sainz agrees with Alonso in criticizing F1's fixation on celebrities. Formula 1 | Carlos Sainz has supported Fernando Alonso's critique of the television coverage in Formula 1, claiming that the sport is giving more importance to celebrity reactions (…) Wolff and Brown state that F1 is 'missing' the removed Horner. Wolff and Brown state that F1 is 'missing' the removed Horner. 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Verstappen acknowledges that Mercedes is likely to be at the forefront with the 2026 regulations.

Formula 1 | Max Verstappen anticipates that Mercedes will have an advantage when the sport's new regulations come into effect next year. Despite Toto Wolff's (…)