Racing
© Morio
Audi has ruled itself out of the Max Verstappen conversation for now, with team principal Mattia Binotto saying the Formula 1 project is not yet ready to give a driver of Verstappen’s level a car capable of fighting for wins.
Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Binotto made clear there are no negotiations with the four-time world champion despite fresh speculation around Verstappen’s Red Bull future. “No, we are not. I’m not. And the reason why is I think we are not yet ready for it as a team,” Binotto said.
He said Audi would need to offer Verstappen “a platform which is a proper platform where he can fight for victories” before a move of that scale would make sense. Binotto also stressed that Audi is committed to its current lineup, saying Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg are on long-term contracts and adding: “Maybe it will be even not required in the future, because I’m so happy at the moment with the drivers we’ve got, and let’s see what will be our future.”
The timing matters because Verstappen’s position at Red Bull is under renewed scrutiny after a difficult start to the 2026 season. His first podium did not arrive until the Canadian Grand Prix, the fifth race of the year, and he sits seventh in the championship, 45 points behind second-placed George Russell with six races left before the summer break.
That has kept attention on the terms of Verstappen’s Red Bull deal. He is contracted through the end of 2028, but his contract is reported to contain an exit clause that could allow him to leave for 2027 if he is lower than second in the drivers’ standings at the summer break next month.
The wider uncertainty is not only about results. Verstappen has repeatedly linked his long-term future in Formula 1 to the direction of the regulations, warning in Montreal that he could reconsider his future in the sport if proposed refinements to the 2027 engine rules do not go through.
He struck a calmer tone later at the FIA press conference in Monaco, saying the discussions were ongoing but no longer in his hands. Verstappen said he trusted the FIA to make “the right decision” for the future of Formula 1 and motorsport in general, after making his position clear in earlier meetings.
For now, though, one possible destination has been removed from the board. At the same moment Verstappen’s contract situation and frustration with the rules are fueling the market again, Audi’s message is that it does not yet see itself in a position to build around a driver expected to fight at the front.