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Formula 1’s silly season has officially transcended standard driver contracts and moved straight into corporate takeovers. As Red Bull Racing fights a multi-front war to maintain its grid dominance, pacify rival teams, and secure Max Verstappen’s long-term loyalty, the wildest rumor of the 2026 season has just surfaced.
According to a fascinating new paddock report highlighted by GPBlog, the Austrian energy drink giant might be considering a radical corporate maneuver. To solve a massive political headache and simultaneously lock down their star driver, Red Bull parent company Red Bull GmbH is allegedly exploring the idea of handing Max Verstappen a controlling interest in their sister team, Racing Bulls.
To understand why Red Bull would even entertain giving away a piece of a Formula 1 franchise, you have to look at the massive political pressure currently being applied by McLaren CEO Zak Brown. For months, Brown has been aggressively lobbying the FIA to ban the current ownership structure that allows one corporate entity to control two separate teams on the grid.
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Brown has formally complained that the close technical and operational ties between Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls provide an unfair sporting and financial advantage.
While Red Bull has continuously defended its operational independence and indicated a willingness to make further operational adjustments, the growing discontent among rival team bosses is a looming threat over Milton Keynes. If the FIA actually bows to this pressure and mandates a sale, Red Bull will be forced to offload its secondary operation.
This corporate pressure is colliding directly with Red Bull’s other massive priority: keeping Max Verstappen happy. According to the timeline provided via @RBRHub, Verstappen and his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, recently held a high-level summit with top Red Bull brass at the company’s Salzburg headquarters ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Crucially, the discussions reportedly went far beyond the standard confines of his current driving contract and his immediate track performance. The meetings allegedly dove deep into the overarching ownership structure of both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, setting the stage for what could be an unprecedented buyout structure.
This is where respected Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward enters the equation. In his Business of Motorsport notebook, Saward outlined the highly creative solution circulating the paddock where Red Bull could offer Verstappen a controlling stake in Racing Bulls. Doing so would instantly strip Red Bull GmbH of its dual-ownership status and silence Zak Brown’s crusade overnight.
Simultaneously, this would serve as the ultimate golden handcuffs. Offering an active driver the keys to an entire Formula 1 franchise would practically guarantee Verstappen’s services well beyond the 2026 regulation changes. While Saward admits this specific option is a long shot, it perfectly aligns with Verstappen’s known career trajectory.
The Dutchman has made it abundantly clear that he does not intend to race in Formula 1 into his late thirties, and he is already actively building a massive motorsport empire outside of the Red Bull umbrella.
Between the highly successful Verstappen.com Sim Racing squad and his own GT3 team—which notably collaborates with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport—Verstappen is already transitioning from a driver to a team owner. Handing him the reins to Racing Bulls would be the ultimate capstone to that business portfolio, permanently intertwining his legacy with the Red Bull family.
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According to a fascinating new paddock report highlighted by GPBlog, the Austrian energy drink giant might be considering a radical corporate maneuver. To solve a massive political headache and simultaneously lock down their star driver, Red Bull parent company Red Bull GmbH is allegedly exploring the idea of handing Max Verstappen a controlling interest in their sister team, Racing Bulls.
Red Bull’s Dual Ownership Dilemma
To understand why Red Bull would even entertain giving away a piece of a Formula 1 franchise, you have to look at the massive political pressure currently being applied by McLaren CEO Zak Brown. For months, Brown has been aggressively lobbying the FIA to ban the current ownership structure that allows one corporate entity to control two separate teams on the grid.
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May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Brown has formally complained that the close technical and operational ties between Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls provide an unfair sporting and financial advantage.
While Red Bull has continuously defended its operational independence and indicated a willingness to make further operational adjustments, the growing discontent among rival team bosses is a looming threat over Milton Keynes. If the FIA actually bows to this pressure and mandates a sale, Red Bull will be forced to offload its secondary operation.
The Salzburg Summit
This corporate pressure is colliding directly with Red Bull’s other massive priority: keeping Max Verstappen happy. According to the timeline provided via @RBRHub, Verstappen and his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, recently held a high-level summit with top Red Bull brass at the company’s Salzburg headquarters ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Crucially, the discussions reportedly went far beyond the standard confines of his current driving contract and his immediate track performance. The meetings allegedly dove deep into the overarching ownership structure of both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, setting the stage for what could be an unprecedented buyout structure.
Expanding the Verstappen Empire?
This is where respected Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward enters the equation. In his Business of Motorsport notebook, Saward outlined the highly creative solution circulating the paddock where Red Bull could offer Verstappen a controlling stake in Racing Bulls. Doing so would instantly strip Red Bull GmbH of its dual-ownership status and silence Zak Brown’s crusade overnight.
Simultaneously, this would serve as the ultimate golden handcuffs. Offering an active driver the keys to an entire Formula 1 franchise would practically guarantee Verstappen’s services well beyond the 2026 regulation changes. While Saward admits this specific option is a long shot, it perfectly aligns with Verstappen’s known career trajectory.
The Dutchman has made it abundantly clear that he does not intend to race in Formula 1 into his late thirties, and he is already actively building a massive motorsport empire outside of the Red Bull umbrella.
Between the highly successful Verstappen.com Sim Racing squad and his own GT3 team—which notably collaborates with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport—Verstappen is already transitioning from a driver to a team owner. Handing him the reins to Racing Bulls would be the ultimate capstone to that business portfolio, permanently intertwining his legacy with the Red Bull family.
Continue reading...
