Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto has confirmed that the team is not in negotiations with Red Bull\u2019s Max Verstappen, insisting the team is \u201cnot yet ready\u201d for a driver of his stature.<\/p>\n
Verstappen has once again been linked with a move away from Red Bull in light of the team\u2019s challenging start to the F1 2026 season.<\/p>\n
Mattia Binotto: Audi F1 not in the hunt for Max Verstappen<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n The four-time world champion was forced to wait until the last round in Canada, the fifth race of the campaign, to register his first podium finish of 2026.<\/p>\n Verstappen has made no secret of his dislike of the F1 2026 rules, warning in Montreal that he will consider his future in the sport if the proposed refinements to the engine regulations for 2027 do not go through.<\/p>\n Despite being officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, it has emerged over recent years that Verstappen\u2019s deal contains an exit clause.<\/p>\n Go deeper: Max Verstappen\u2019s Red Bull contract<\/p>\n F1 driver contracts: What is the contract status of every driver on the F1 2026 grid?<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026 driver salaries: Who are the highest-paid drivers on the grid?<\/a><\/p>\n It has been speculated that the 28-year-old will be free to walk away from Red Bull for 2027 if he is lower than second in the drivers\u2019 championship at the time of the summer break next month.<\/p>\n Verstappen currently occupies seventh in the standings, trailing second-placed George Russell by 45 points with six races remaining in the first half of the season.<\/p>\n Appearing on F1\u2019s Beyond the Grid podcast, Binotto has distanced Audi from a move for Verstappen, conceding that the team is not yet in a position to offer him the winning car he needs.<\/p>\n Binotto also confirmed that Audi\u2019s current drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, are tied to \u201clong-term contracts.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if Audi is in the frame to potentially secure Verstappen\u2019s signature, Binotto said: \u201cNo, we are not. I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the reason why is I think we are not yet ready for it as a team.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Max would join, you need to offer him a platform which is a proper platform where he can fight for victories.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it will be even not required in the future, because I\u2019m so happy at the moment with the drivers we\u2019ve got, and let\u2019s see what will be our future.<\/p>\n \u201cBut at the moment, we\u2019ve got long-term contracts with our drivers. I\u2019m happy with the current situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Binotto\u2019s comments come after Verstappen\u2019s father Jos was spotted in conversation with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff<\/a> in the paddock at the recent Canadian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Verstappen was heavily linked with a move to Mercedes last summer before the team opted to retain its current lineup of Russell and Kimi Antonelli, the runaway championship leader.<\/p>\n Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, went on to play down the significance of the meeting between Wolff and Verstappen Sr, hinting the conversation was related to Verstappen\u2019s exploits at the N\u00fcrburgring 24 Hours a week earlier.<\/p>\n Mekies said in Canada: \u201cAs much as it may sound exciting to see that from the outside, I really don\u2019t think there is any intention in particular behind [it].<\/p>\n \u201cIf any of these guys wants to have a chat, it\u2019s going to be a story anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cWe speak all the time with Max and with Jos and it\u2019s completely natural that they can have conversations with Toto.<\/p>\n \u201cMax was racing in a Mercedes last week in GT3, so I genuinely don\u2019t think it\u2019s part of a game plan to get a message through.\u201d<\/p>\n In March, Wolff distanced himself from suggestions<\/a> that Mercedes could renew its interest in Verstappen for 2027, branding the rumours \u201cstupid\u201d and insisting that Mercedes \u201ccouldn\u2019t be happier\u201d with its current drivers who have \u201clong-term, multi-year contracts.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell is understood to have signed a one-plus-one deal with Mercedes in October 2025, meaning his hopes of remaining with the team for 2027 hinge on him hitting certain performance targets this season.<\/p>\n Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other media outlets during F1\u2019s extended April break, Russell insisted that he will \u201cvery likely\u201d hit the metrics required<\/a> to trigger an automatic extension for 2027.<\/p>\n Mercedes has won each of the five races held so far in 2026.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n