Max Verstappen has confirmed he’ll be staying at Red Bull beyond this season.
It puts an end to uncertainty over the four-time F1 world champion’s future after he was linked to a move to Mercedes earlier this month.
Speculation surfaced after the Silver Arrows’ current No 1 George Russell revealed Mercedes bosses had been holding conversations with the Dutchman’s team over a switch.
But speaking ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, 27-year-old Verstappen confirmed he won’t be leaving Red Bull, now headed by new team principal Laurent Mekies.
He said in a press conference: ‘I’ve never really said anything about it because I was just focused on talking to the team about how we can improve our performance, future ideas for next year as well, and that’s why I had nothing really to add.
‘But I think it’s time to basically stop all the rumours, and for me it’s always been quite clear that I was staying anyway.
Max Verstappen has confirmed he’ll be staying at Red Bull for the 2026 season
It comes just weeks after the surprise sacking of long-standing team principal Christian Horner
‘I think that was also the general feeling in the team anyway because we were always in discussions about what we could do with the car. And when you’re not interested in staying, then you also stop talking about these kind of things – and I never did.’
Talk of his exit was compounded when rumours began swirling that he had been holidaying on boats with Toto Wolff earlier in July. The Mercedes chief admitted over the last month that he had been in conversations over a potential move for Vertsappen.
Regarding such speculation, the driver added on Thursday: ‘If my boat is next to Toto’s then the boat is next to Toto’s. You can have a personal relationship with someone even if you don’t have a working relationship with someone.
‘I never made an opera. I don’t like opera anyway. I just like to go on holiday, have a good time. I like to come here, do my best, race Formula 1 cars and then go home again.’
Verstappen’s Red Bull contract runs up until the end of 2028 but features exit clauses which could have seen him leave if he didn’t feature in the top three of the Drivers’ Championship come the summer. The Dutchman currently sits third, behind Lando Norris and leader Oscar Piastri.
Red Bull’s star drivers’ commitment to the team comes just weeks after the surprise sacking of long-standing team principal Christian Horner.
The 51-year-old, who is married to Spice Girls star Geri Halliwell, was relieved of his duties after 20 years in charge of the constructor, which under his leadership won eight Drivers’ Championships.
His dismissal came a year and a half after he was caught up in a major controversy that threatened to engulf the entire team.
Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee following the revelation of alleged sex texts he sent.
Verstappen said it was ‘always clear’ to him that he wouldn’t be leaving Red Bull
Horner was relieved of his duties after 20 years as Red Bull’s team principal
Laurent Mekies has taken over the role, with driver Verstappen winning the first sprint race since Horner’s sacking
He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee’s appeal. Horner has strongly denied the claims.
But while Red Bull backed their man throughout the unfolding saga in 2024, relations had undoubtedly cooled in the following months before he was dismissed.]
Verstappen’s confirmation that he won’t be leaving Red Bull – a team he joined almost a decade ago – won’t come as much of a surprise to F1 fans after he exclusively told Mail Sport earlier this month that he wants to finish his career at the constructor.
‘That’s what I said in 2021 and that’s still the target – I’m still fully committed to the team,’ he said.
The Dutchman also revealed that he didn’t even consider whether he and Mercedes star George would work well in tandem.
‘I can’t do anything about all the stories that are written up,’ said Verstappen.
‘I also don’t pay attention to it. It has never crossed my mind to take a year out. Driving anywhere else or with anyone else is not even on my mind. This scenario does not exist in my head.
‘We get on all right. We have our moments on the track but it’s all good. We speak. We just leave that behind, at least from my side. You just continue racing. I’m not someone who holds a grudge.’
The Hungarian Grand Prix goes ahead this Sunday, with McLaren leading the Constructors’ Championship and Oscar Piastri at the top of the Drivers’.
