There is a pattern when Red Bull’s youngsters get promoted to the main team.

They display confidence that they can succeed where others failed, and they drink the poisoned chalice.

When it came to choosing its 2025 line-up, Red Bull picked Liam Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda. The New Zealander rookie was believed to have more potential, given his promising performance over his five- and six-round stints at Racing Bulls in the previous two seasons.

Then Lawson suffered three Q1 exits in his first two grands prix at Red Bull – 18th in Australia and 20th in both qualifying sessions at Shanghai, which failed to yield any points. The team decided it had seen enough already and gave the job to Tsunoda, who had finished sixth in the Chinese sprint with the sister squad.

“People often say Red Bull cars tend to have strong front-end grip. I personally love cars that turn aggressively, and in the past, I adapted my driving style to that kind of set-up,” is how he reacted to the challenge.

“Racing Bulls traditionally had cars that understeered a bit more, which was challenging for me at first, but I got used to it, and it eventually became my norm. Now, the key will be adjusting to Red Bull’s characteristics again, but considering my past experience, I’m not too worried about it.”

Perhaps he should have been, especially given he was jumping into a new car mid-season. Tsunoda never matched Max Verstappen, with his qualifying deficit six tenths on average in dry conditions.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

Too many times, in a car that nearly won the drivers’ championship, the Japanese was eliminated in Q1 – 10 times exactly, with another nine Q2 exits over 27 sessions at Red Bull.

Read Also: F1 2025 qualifying head-to-head: Final stats after Abu Dhabi GP

This obviously made his life harder in races, and Tsunoda scored just 30 points while Verstappen accrued 385 over the same 22 rounds.

It is quite telling that over 1,386 laps in 2025, Tsunoda spent just 230 in the top eight positions.

Some days were better than others as Tsunoda finished sixth in Baku and seventh in Austin, but those highs weren’t high enough that Red Bull would think, ‘This is the right person for the job’. And some of the lows were shockers, like Tsunoda’s dismal Red Bull Ring race, which he finished two laps down after a collision with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.

It didn’t help that the 25-year-old just couldn’t explain his lack of pace. The term “strange” and its synonyms were uttered with a worrying consistency in his media interactions.

So Red Bull did what Red Bull will do: Tsunoda was demoted to a reserve role for 2026, with an impressive Isack Hadjar promoted to Red Bull. This isn’t the end, Tsunoda has promised, vowing to prove he deserves a spot on the grid. But at this point, his future may be out of his hands.

Read Also: What's next for Yuki Tsunoda after his F1 exit?

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In late 2025, the global electric vehicle market has shifted in favor of Chinese manufacturers. They now account for 43% of global EV sales, with eight of the top ten best-selling EV models coming from China. These brands are moving faster, integrating vertically, and treating cars as digital products rather than mechanical ones.

BYD

BYD is currently the world’s largest EV maker by volume. It builds its own batteries, motors, and chips, including its signature Blade Battery. This approach has allowed the company to lower costs and reduce reliance on external suppliers. Models like the Seagull continue to undercut global rivals on pricing, while still offering competitive range and features.

In 2025, BYD expanded production into Hungary and Brazil to avoid import tariffs and meet rising demand. The company also pushed into the premium space with its Yangwang sub-brand, which now competes directly with established luxury automakers.

Additionally, the company is all set to launch the Seal 08 and Sealion 08 in Q1 2026, targeting the premium segment with its next-generation Ocean Aesthetic 2.0 design language.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi entered the EV market with the SU7 sedan and quickly scaled to over 200k units in less than a year. The vehicle runs on HyperOS, which connects seamlessly with Xiaomi’s smartphones and smart home devices. This integration has attracted a younger, tech-savvy audience that values digital experiences.

In mid-2025, Xiaomi launched the YU7 SUV. It introduced a 900V electrical system and a zero-gravity seat design. The company ramped up production to more than 40,000 vehicles per month, a rate most legacy brands have not achieved in their early years.

NIO

NIO is solving one of the most persistent EV challenges: charging time. Its global battery swap network now includes over 4,000 stations. Each swap takes under three minutes and removes the need to plug in.

NIO expanded its lineup in 2025 by introducing two new sub-brands. Onvo targets family buyers, while Firefly caters to the European market with compact luxury vehicles. The brand has opened new locations in the Netherlands and Norway and plans to enter the UK, Belgium, and Luxembourg in early 2026.

Geely

Geely owns brands like Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus. It has used this global footprint to launch its own premium EVs under the Zeekr brand. The Zeekr 001 received a major update in late 2025, including a 900V platform and ultra-fast charging speeds using Geely’s new Golden Brick battery. The vehicle can charge from 10% to 80% in about 7 minutes.

Geely’s SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform allows it to build a wide range of EVs across multiple brands. This structure supports rapid development and reduces costs, giving Geely a clear advantage in scaling its EV efforts.

XPeng

XPeng has solidified its position as the leader in AI-centric mobility. Its 2025 lineup shifted fully to “AI-defined” vehicles, including the vision-based P7+ and the X9 MPV with adaptive AI suspension. The Mona M03 became a best-seller by offering advanced driver-assist tech for under $20,000, and a Mona SUV is set to arrive in early 2026 to challenge the Tesla Model Y.

The company’s partnership with Volkswagen brought major scale advantages, culminating in the VW ID. UNYX 07, powered entirely by XPeng’s software and its in-house Turing AI chip. XPeng also secured Level 3 autonomous driving permits in China and saw its Net Promoter Score top Germany’s rankings. With expansion into the UK, Australia, and South Korea, XPeng is positioning itself as the most advanced AI-first carmaker in the world.

What the West Is Getting Wrong

Chinese EV companies move quickly. Their development cycles average 18 to 24 months. Most Western automakers still take 4 to 6 years to bring new models to market. Chinese firms build much of their own supply chains, while Western brands depend on Tier-1 suppliers. The focus in China is on software, user experience, and in-car AI. In contrast, many global brands still prioritize traditional metrics like paint quality and ride feel.

High tariffs in the US and EU have slowed some exports, but Chinese automakers are adapting. BYD and Geely have set up production hubs overseas. Others are increasing their plug-in hybrid offerings to remain competitive while EV policies remain unclear.

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The post These Chinese EV Brands Are Poised to Disrupt the Global Market in 2026 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Max Verstappen says being the only Red Bull car to take on the two McLaren drivers for the 2025 Formula 1 title was an advantage rather than a drawback.

In 2025 Red Bull tried its latest gamble to solve its second seat syndrome, but after two poor weekends Liam Lawson was ruthlessly replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.

The Japanese driver also struggled to find stability in his performances and results, and has been demoted to a reserve role for 2026 as Red Bull turned to Isack Hadjar instead.

That meant Verstappen was taking on the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri by himself as he launched an unlikely comeback in the title fight over the second half of the season.

But while Tsunoda wasn't a factor up front to give Red Bull additional strategic cards to play, Verstappen feels his role as a sole frontrunner actually helped him.

"When you're on your own, you can go on the attack, you can be much more aggressive. I always prefer that," he explained to Viaplay. "Look, if you're a bit equal with the car, then I wish both [McLaren drivers] good luck, because then you can really decide it amongst yourselves."

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Verstappen pointed out that Norris and Piastri were taking a lot of points off each other in their fight against the Dutchman, with McLaren's equal treatment of both drivers further complicating things on the strategy front. That's why as a team principal, he would always designate a number one driver.

"If I were a team boss, I would always put a clear number one and two in place," the four-time world champion explained.

"Of course, a number two who still scores enough points to compete for the constructors' title. But a clear number one and two.

"Because McLaren had two drivers, they gave away some things with their strategy. So, of course, we benefited from that too."

Read Also: Why Max Verstappen disagreed with Liam Lawson’s Red Bull F1 demotion

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Hyundai will be "better prepared" and "stronger" in the World Rally Championship next year after a difficult 2025, according to team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

The Korean marque was soundly beaten this season scoring two victories, at Acropolis Rally Greece and in Saudi Arabia, while rivals Toyota chalked up a stunning 12 wins spread across drivers Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanpera and Oliver Solberg, to secure a fifth consecutive manufacturers’ crown.

Hyundai opted to debut its new ‘Evo’ i20 N Rally1 car this season at Rally Sweden in February. The upgraded car made strides forward, particularly on fast gravel rallies, but it struggled to perform on asphalt and in low grip conditions. The car was also hit by a number of reliability issues.

Reflecting on the decision to upgrade the car for 2025, which was made in 2023, Abiteboul said: “It has been a difficult and challenging year. We came into it after such a successful 2024 season and always knew defending our titles would be hard, especially with Toyota reacting as they did. They arrived with five cars and a very solid package.

“On our side, we committed early in 2023 to a radical new car for 2025 compared to last year. That decision brought long-term value, but it also meant a steep learning curve this season. So yes, challenging is the right word - but it was a challenge we accepted when we chose that direction.

“The development path of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 was a very large project, and with hindsight you always ask whether the timing was right.

Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

“When I joined, the team was being dominated by Toyota, so we decided to go bold. The original plan was a completely new car; for various reasons, we delivered a major evolution instead. Last year’s success was almost a bit of a surprise, which showed that in rally, even a small evolution could bring so much. But our Evo car was already well underway, and we remain committed to it.

“The 2025 car brought performance improvements in some areas, but also uncertainty, and the season became a learning curve - understanding behaviour, limits and how to extract consistency. It was demanding, but the advantage now is clear: we have a precise view of the weaknesses and a focused plan for the coming year.”

Hyundai is expected to utilise bonus homologation jokers, afforded to all teams for the final year of the current Rally1 in 2026, to make further improvements to its i20 N in a bid to close the gap to Toyota.

This, coupled with a new management structure in place headed by sporting director Andrew Wheatley, along with the knowledge gained throughout 2025 has Abiteboul feeling confident Hyundai will perform much stronger when the season begins in Monte Carlo next month.

“There are positives, obvious and less obvious. The two wins were fully deserved; in both rallies we controlled the pace,” added Abiteboul.

“The team’s attitude was strong all year, and we never gave up despite the difficulties. We’ve also progressed in how we operate and react. The pace of the car was often very good, even if the final results didn’t always show it. And Adrien was a major positive.

“Bringing a young driver in is always a question mark, but he showed maturity, professionalism and real potential. He also helped us understand the car better, which will matter going into 2026.

Cyril Abiteboul, Team principal Hyundai World Rally Team

“I believe we’ll arrive stronger in Monte Carlo. Compared to last year, we’ll be better prepared.

“The organisation is more stable, the leadership structure is in place, and having our base in Fechenheim fully operational removes a major distraction.

"We can focus on extracting the performance from the cars and the crews. Of course it’s always relative to what our competitors are doing. Toyota will and their drivers will be strong, especially in Monte Carlo.

“What gives me confidence is that we have a much better knowledge and understanding of the package, the plan is focused, and there are fewer moving parts than a year ago. This year was a reminder that absolute performance is not necessarily the determining factor; it’s more important to have a controlled and well-understood product, and a focused organisation. If we keep working this way, we’ll be in a stronger position at the start of next season.”

Read Also: Hayden Paddon, Esapekka Lappi and Dani Sordo join Hyundai 2026 WRC line-up

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Mercedes Formula 1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has assessed Andrea Kimi Antonelli's rookie season in the championship, claiming that the Italian driver learned how to handle the "cannibals".

Antonelli joined the Brackley outfit ahead of the 2025 season, replacing seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton as the Briton moved to Ferrari. 

The 19-year-old driver started his rookie season off strongly with a fourth-place finish at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. He also secured his first sprint race pole position and his first grand prix podium with a third-place at the Canadian Grand Prix. 

But with the highs came some lows for Antonelli as he dealt with the intense pressure of driving for a top team like Mercedes.

"Last year when we announced that he would drive the car, I said that we're going to have ups and downs, moments of brilliance and then other moments where you want to tear your hair out," Wolff explained during a Mercedes debrief video.

"Because of the, you call them learnings, but because of the mistakes, that's what it is. And I think we have seen exactly that. We've seen very strong races at the beginning of the season, particularly towards the end. But I think we never doubted in the speed, the talent and his ability.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

"It's just you're being thrown to the cannibals in Formula 1. The intense pressure of the media, the responsibility you have to Mercedes - to the many people that are giving their all to provide you an engine and a car.

"And I think probably that was the learning, throughout the middle of the season, particularly in Europe, with everybody wanting something from you. And he's a good person. So he didn't want to say no either.

"And overall, I would say a good season, full of learning, a strong base to move from here and start in 2026 with a new car, new to everyone. And you know what to expect."

Antonelli ended the season seventh in the drivers' standings with 150 points and contributed to a P2 finish for Mercedes in the constructors' championship.

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Formula 1’s ground effect era has not provided happy hunting grounds for Mercedes, and the team’s drop in form compared to the previous ruleset is well-documented. Sadly, for George Russell, the dramatic shift came as he made the move from Williams to Mercedes.

Russell joined Mercedes in 2022 and in the ensuing years, has grown and developed in the shadow of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. This season, he finally stepped out into the limelight as the team leader – despite another rocky season for the Silver Arrows.

The year got off to a strong start for Russell, who picked up back-to-back podiums with third in Australia and China to kick off the season strongly. This was followed in Bahrain, where the Brit finished second, and Miami where he picked up another third place.

His run of top-five finishes came to an end at Imola, however, as Mercedes rolled out new suspension components that did more harm than good. Correlation issues hid a flaw in the new components, which Mercedes used over four race weekends including Monaco - Russell scored his only finish outside the top 10 of the year with 11th. However, the upgrade wasn't the sole culprit here, as the Brit was also handed a drive-through penalty for passing Alex Albon off track.

Russell was able to drive his way around the flaw, however, and took fourth at the following race in Spain before picking up his first win of the year in Canada – leading a double-podium for Mercedes as rookie team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished third.

"Everything went wrong" for George Russell in Silverstone

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

The topsy-turvy nature of Russell’s season quickly returnedt, and a penalty for an unsafe release hit his Austrian GP, before poor strategy calls in Silverstone saw the Brit finish 10th – a result he says came because “everything went wrong”.

“In our position, if you play it safe, you'll come home with a safe result,” Russell lamented after the Silverstone race. “Of course, that would have probably been P4. Standing here now, do I wish I had P4? Of course. We wanted to be bold, we wanted to be brave. We went for some bold decisions and ultimately it bit us.”

The second half of the season proved to be more consistent for Russell and Mercedes, which had now ditched its updated suspension design. After the summer break, Russell picked up a further three podiums as well as a second win of the year in Singapore – where he qualified on pole and led from the line.

The dominance proved to be unexpected for Mercedes and Russell, who admitted after the race “if I were to make a list of all the races I thought we could win at this year, this would probably be right at the bottom”.

Top three finishes followed in the US, Brazil and Qatar sprints, which helped Mercedes secure second place in the constructors’ standings. The effort didn’t all fall on Russell’s shoulders, however, as team-mate Antonelli racked up 150 points in his first season – despite having his fair share of wobbles over his rookie year.

Russell, however, showed his experience over the course of 2025 to collect more than double Antonelli’s tally with 319 points by the end of the year. He also wiped the floor with Antonelli in the qualifying head-to-head, finishing 25-5 in grand prix qualifyings.

Read Also: Mercedes sticks to 2026 F1 masterplan as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli confirmed George Russell opens up about his childhood “anger and anxiety”

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admits it is “super difficult” to gauge where his rivals are in their preparation for Formula 1’s overhaul in 2026, and said the feeling in the team was “not comparable” to preparations for 2014 – when its period of F1 dominance began.  

The Brackley-based squad has gone through two major rule changes in its current form. It aced the reset in 2014 winning eight consecutive constructors’ titles, but was lost in the weeds when the rules changed again in 2022.  

Now, it is on the cusp of a third shake-up as the championship braces for its new era in 2026. Next year, F1 will be defined by new rules that bring active aerodynamics to the front and rear wings, chassis will get smaller and power units will rely on a 50:50 split in internal combustion power and electrical energy.  

As the current ruleset came to an end at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Mercedes boss warned that comparing preparations for 2026 and 2014 was not possible.  

“Landing in 2014, I kind of had [a good] feeling already in the winter when we were the first ones running a full car dyno,” Wolff explained to media including Motorsport.com.  

“The engine was more reliable than it seemed with the other people. And obviously, day one testing, nobody did some laps, we did. The same on day two.  

“So, it's not comparable I would say. It's also that the grid is just much more competitive than it was in previous years.”  

Mercedes was “more cheerful than today” at the close of the 2013 season

While Wolff admitted that Mercedes was “more cheerful than today” when the 2013 season ended in Brazil – as it clinched second place in the F1 standings just six points ahead of Ferrari – he said his team was “on track” with its preparations for the new season.  

“It's super difficult to predict, because we set ourselves targets that we are on track to meet,” Wolff explained. “But whether those targets were set ambitious enough and whether those targets have been set in the right place in terms of priorities, only the future will show.”  

That future is approaching rapidly, as F1 will host a closed-doors test in Barcelona from 26 January. And while Mercedes hasn’t yet announced when it will launch its 2026 challenger, Red Bull will be the first manufacturer to break cover with an event on 15 January.  

“This is not far away, eight weeks or so,” he said after the final race of 2025. “It's actually awful to say. Today was the first day in the morning when I thought, ‘I don't want to go to a race track’.” 

Now, he says the team will do “everything in our power to come out with a car, with a power unit that is competitive enough”.  

However, he wouldn’t be drawn on predicting the team’s position come lights out in Australia, and warned that he was a “glass half-empty person” when it came to predicting his team’s fortunes – especially after it started the 2022 rules cycle on the back foot after seven years of dominance in F1.

Read Also: Mercedes and Red Bull under scrutiny over F1 2026 engine compression ratio FIA reveals F1 2026 entry list as Sauber name makes surprise appearance

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Mercedes Formula 1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has showered 2025 F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin with praise after the 21-year-old "crushed" the all-female racing series.

The French driver joined the Mercedes Junior Team in 2024 as she entered her rookie season in F1 Academy. After finishing her first season in the championship in the runner-up position, she came back on the hunt for the title in 2025. 

Over the seven rounds, Pin accumulated 172 points, which were enough to clinch the title over Maya Weug, who finished second.

"Yeah, Dori has been a great addition to the team. Her background was a little bit different because she came through karting and then more from touring cars and GT cars, and some very good performances in prototypes," the team chief explained during a Mercedes debrief video.

"But then she went into Formula 1 Academy and crushed it. She won the championship. She’s a fierce young lady that can drive, and, from a personality, she fits into Mercedes, she fits into the team. And it's a pleasure to see her working."

Pin's next move is currently unclear, but she is keen to remain with Mercedes.

Doriane Pin, PREMA Racing

"We can decide where we want to go. We don't know yet where we are going because we finished the season in mid-November, so it's already late," Pin explained to Goodwood. "We will, for sure, make some decisions in the next few weeks. The goal is hopefully staying with Mercedes, and we have a successful career together, and a long one.

"We finished the season together, so we will definitely have a full discussion with the team."

She added: "I like both single-seaters and sportscars, obviously, because they're high-level, and you always fight with the best in the world.

"When I raced in WEC, it was very competitive and a very beautiful championship, but single-seaters has been a really good experience over the last two years."

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On Thursday of last week, 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion and RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski suffered a broken leg while on a skiing trip with his family.

Keselowski underwent successful surgery and after a few days in the hospital, he has been released. He promised to "work relentlessly" in order to be ready to compete at the highest level of stock car racing in 2026.

"Rolling out of the hospital and officially on the road to recovery," posted Keselowski on social media. "Grateful for incredible care and a smooth ride home in my Ford Expedition. Ready to be home for the holidays!"

Rolling out of the hospital and officially on the road to recovery. Grateful for incredible care and a smooth ride home in my @Ford Expedition. Ready to be home for the holidays! pic.twitter.com/xk3HP1O5Gx

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) December 22, 2025

Keselowski, who drives the No. 6 Ford, hasn't missed a Cup race since he became a full-time driver in 2010, even with an ankle injury during the 2011 season.

The veteran driver has some time to recover before the new season officially begins. The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is on February 1, but that event doesn't count towards the championship. The 68th running of the Daytona 500 follows two weeks later on February 15.

Keselowski is 41 years old, and has 36 wins at the Cup level. However, he and the entirety of RFK Racing went winless in 2025, with all three cars narrowly missing the playoffs. Keselowski did get agonizingly close to several victories, and earned three runner-up finishes, including the Phoenix finale when he lost the lead in the final seconds of the race. 

Read Also: Brad Keselowski suffers broken leg in skiing accident

 

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A months-long investigation of Tesla’s electric door handles has surfaced a pattern that raises complex questions about modern vehicle design. According to reporting by Bloomberg, at least 15 people have died in crashes where Tesla doors failed to open after […]

The post 15 People Dead in Tesla Crashes Where Doors Wouldn’t Open, Bloomberg first appeared on Tech Startups.

Honda has confirmed Ayumu Iwasa will defend his Super Formula title next season alongside ongoing Formula 1 reserve duties.

Iwasa will spend a third season with Team Mugen in the Japanese single-seater series in 2026 after winning this year’s championship at his second attempt.

The 24-year-old has never hidden his ambition of racing in F1 with the backing of Red Bull, which co-sponsored him along with Honda through much of his junior career and continued to employ him as a reserve and simulator driver.

However, Iwasa lost out in the race to replace Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls to Arvid Lindblad, and faces another year of racing in Japan in a bid to prove himself for a step up in 2027.

He will once again partner two-time champion Tomoki Nojiri at Mugen.

The remainder of Honda’s roster sees few changes, with Dandelion Racing retaining Tadasuke Makino and Kakunoshin Ohta for a fourth season and rookie of the year Igor Fraga earning a second campaign at Nakajima Racing alongside Ren Sato.

One change is that Yuto Nomura, who won this year’s Super Formula Lights title, will join B-Max Racing in place of Shun Koide, who is expected to move over to ThreeBond Racing, although this remains unconfirmed.

Jack Doohan, Alpine

Last Friday, Toyota revealed 11 of the 13 drivers that will race its cars in Super Formula, confirming several driver moves that were previewed by the Suzuka test.

It confirmed Kenta Yamashita’s switch from Kondo Racing to KCMG, where he will partner two-time World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera, Zak O’Sullivan joining the one-car Impul squad, and Kamui Kobayashi leaving KCMG in favour of a move to TGM Grand Prix.

Charlie Wurz was also confirmed as Team Goh’s sole driver for its comeback to Super Formula, which was announced just prior to the test.

Kondo Racing’s line-up was left as TBD, although the team is still expected to field Alpine F1 outcast Jack Doohan and Formula 2 race winner Luke Browning in 2026.

Wurz’s younger brother Oscar was also confirmed for a season of Super Formula Lights with TOM’S alongside Japanese youngsters Kiyoshi Umegaki and Tokiya Suzuki.

Formula Regional European race winner Akshay Bohra appears to be the frontrunner for the final TOM’S Lights seat after driving for the team in testing at Suzuka last week.

Another frontrunner from that series, Evan Giltaire, could also be in line for a move to Japan after topping three of four sessions at Suzuka driving for B-Max Racing.

2026 Super Formula driver lineup so far:

Team Engine Drivers

Team Mugen	Honda	Ayumu Iwasa  Tomoki Nojiri
Kondo Racing	Toyota	TBD TBD
Dandelion Racing	Honda	Tadasuke Makino  Kakunoshin Ohta
TGM GP TGR-DC	Toyota	Kamui Kobayashi  Rikuto Kobayashi
KCMG	Toyota	Kenta Yamashita  Kalle Rovanperä
Triple Tree Racing	Honda	Juju Noda
ThreeBond Racing	Honda	TBA
Rookie Racing	Toyota	Nirei Fukuzumi
Team Impul	Toyota	Zak O’Sullivan
Delightworks Racing	Honda	Nobuharu Matsushita
TOM’S	Toyota	Sho Tsuboi  Sacha Fenestraz
Cerumo/Inging	Toyota	Sena Sakaguchi  Toshiki Oyu
B-Max Racing	Honda	Yuto Nomura
Team Goh	Toyota	Charlie Wurz
Nakajima Racing	Honda	Ren Sato  Igor Fraga

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Red Bull GmbH managing director Oliver Mintzlaff is not concerned about Max Verstappen's contract clauses with the Milton Keynes outfit.

While the Dutchman is under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, it is understood that there are contract clauses that would allow Verstappen to leave the team early. 

Discussions with Mercedes Formula 1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff led to rumours of the four-time champion eyeing a move to the Brackley squad for 2026, but Verstappen later closed the door on his exit as he reiterated his commitment to Red Bull for next year.

"What's important to say is that I'm not afraid of any performance clause in his contract. The most important thing for an athlete is that he sees that everyone on the team is giving their all for him. And I think Max is impressed with the way the results and the atmosphere in the team have gone this year," Mintzlaff told De Telegraaf.

"Of course, Max always wants to win and have the best possible car, but so do we. As long as Max feels we're working towards it and doing everything we can, I think he'll stay loyal. He also sees how much we've invested in our own engine.

"Don't forget that we're an energy drink brand, and what a unique step this is. I feel there's enormous appreciation and loyalty on both sides. I have no doubt that Max Verstappen will finish his career at Red Bull."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2026 welcomes a new wave of regulations for F1, which will act as a reset button for the grid. Verstappen previously confirmed that he would consider retiring if he did not find the new regulations fun.

"My contract runs until 2028 but it [his future] will depend on the new rules in 2026, and if they are nice and fun," he told PA ahead of the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix.

"If they are not fun, then I don't really see myself hanging around. Winning seven titles is not on my mind. I know that there are three more years after this one, so it could be possible, but it is not something I need to do before I leave the sport. I can leave the sport easily tomorrow."

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