Max Verstappen given McLaren ultimatum as Red Bull complete first step to keeping him

Max Verstappen's future beyond 2026 has been an open question for a while, but finally, it appears Red Bull have taken a positive first step in convincing him to stay.

Verstappen is one of several drivers to criticise the new F1 cars and the huge emphasis on battery harvesting and power deployment.

Red Bull have suffered multiple major problems with their car in 2026, causing the Dutchman to spin out on three occasions, including at the British Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old crashed at Silverstone when in third position after the car's rear wing didn't fully close, and he was left saying he was "fed up" with the "dangerous" situation after crashing as a result of a similar issue during qualifying in Austria.

Verstappen's anger towards the car only fuelled speculation over his future, with the driver's representatives meeting McLaren to discuss a possible opening for the four-time world champion.

There were even talks over a potential swap deal with Oscar Piastri, but in recent weeks, those rumours have cooled, and there is a clear reason.

Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Red Bull switched to an old-specification rear wing after their past problems, and this key change made an instant difference.

Max Verstappen could now stay at Red Bull

Verstappen claimed a spot on the front row at Spa with a third-place finish, and such an encouraging performance with a previous design could hold the key to him staying.

Sky Sports broadcaster Ted Kravitz believes that the changes Red Bull have made to their car will help keep Verstappen "happy", and therefore, increase his chances of shunning a switch to McLaren.

"Well, they’ve done half of the job just to get him back on the podium, and Red Bull have said, ‘look, it’s very simple, you keep Max Verstappen happy, he’ll stay with the team he thinks can win races," Kravitz revealed.

"Amazing feeling winning races and winning championships, and that means he’s happy to stay with the team.

"He might look at McLaren and say ‘well, they’re no closer’ if I’m going to join McLaren. They’re no closer to challenging Mercedes than Red Bull. So half the job was getting Verstappen back on the podium; the other half was the upgrade package Red Bull got on the car recently is working, and they’re a certain amount of the way there.

"This rear wing that was causing dangerous consequences for Verstappen, putting him off the track and into the barriers at Silverstone and Austria. Red Bull say they’ve now fixed that.

"The backup rear wing seemed to be fine in Spa, so they could stick with that, but Red Bull’s technical director gave an interview and said, ‘We understand there was a mechanical reason why this amazing rear wing that we thought would be quicker was pitching Max off into the barriers. We’ve fixed it; we’ve told the FIA we’ve fixed it as well, which is important from a safety point of view'.

"The FIA wanted to know why this rear wing was suddenly causing Max to have high-speed accidents, not something the FIA wants to see. So, if they can reassure Max and get some more speed out of the Red Bull, I think he’ll stay.”

Verstappen's contract at Red Bull runs until 2028 on a deal containing performance-related clauses he can trigger in October should he want to leave.

F1 drivers typically decide their future for the next season during the summer break, which begins after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend, so more updates could emerge.

But as it stands, Red Bull have done enough - particularly with their rear wing changes - to convince the four-time champion to stay.