‘Stop the rumours’: Max Verstappen confirms he will be with Red Bull in 2026

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Max Verstappen has acted to end speculation about his future by stating he will be driving for Red Bull in 2026, ending speculation that has swirled around the world champion for several months concerning a switch to Mercedes next seasont.

However the world champion did not confirm he would then see out the rest of his contract with Red Bull that currently stands until 2028.

Verstappen was known to have been involved in talks with the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, who has made no secret of his desire to persuade the four-time world champion to join the silver arrows and Verstappen’s future has been under immense scrutiny of late.

However, before this week’s Hungarian Grand Prix the Dutchman unequivocally stated he would remain with the team for 2026.

“It’s quite interesting to follow all that [speculation] and the amount of nice stories that came out of it. But 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.

“But it’s time to basically stop all the rumours and I’ve always been quite clear that I was staying anyway. That was also the general feeling in the team 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 kinds of things and I never did.

Verstappen has been deeply dissatisfied with the downturn in performance Red Bull have experienced in the last 18 months. He managed to convert an early lead established last season into his fourth title but the expected improvement over the winter failed to materialise and Red Bull have been left behind by a dominant McLaren.

A raft of new regulations come into play next season, including a radical engine change. It could represent a reset of form across the grid with Red Bull taking a major step into the unknown by manufacturing their own power units for the first time. Notably Verstappen declined to explicitly state that he would see out his contract beyond 2026, when he would have a better idea who had made the best interpretation of the new regulations.

When asked if he could expect speculation about his future again next year, he opted not to reject the notion.

“If you ask me that question next year, then yes, we will have that speculation,” he said. “I never speak about it. Because I’m more interested in just working on the performance of things. That’s why I also never really talk about what is in my contract.”

It is understood Verstappen had an exit clause in his contract with Red Bull that allowed him to leave if he was outside the top three at the summer break this season. After finishing fourth in Spa and with 28 points in hand over fourth-placed George Russell he cannot meet that criteria when the break begins after this weekend’s race.

Verstappen has long since conceded his shot at the title has gone and has made his displeasure at his car’s shortcomings. Three weeks ago immediately after the British GP, Red Bull dismissed Christian Horner, their team principal of 20 years, in what was seen as the final move in a long-standing power struggle between Horner and Red Bull’s parent company Red Bull GmbH. Horner was replaced by the former Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies.

George Russell is currently fourth in the drivers’ championship standings, behind Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
George Russell is currently fourth in the drivers’ championship standings behind Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Photograph: Anna Szilágyi/EPA

Keeping Verstappen at the team was considered a key factor in the change instigated by management and earlier this week the Red Bull head of motorsport Helmut Marko noted that the lack of performance had been central to the reason behind Horner being removed.

“It was the result of various factors but primarily, performance was not quite where it should be,” said Marko. “Luckily, we were able to bring in Laurent Mekies from within the Red Bull family. His role will be significantly more focused – primarily on racing.

The latter a pointed note, an indication that there was a consideration that with Horner’s role as team principal and CEO there was a belief he had perhaps lost focus on what Verstappen considered the most important task in delivering a quick car.

That Verstappen has finally publicly confirmed he will remain with the team may be interpreted by many as a vindication of the removal of Horner, despite the upheaval it caused. The internal wrangling certainly has been brought to a close and Verstappen declared himself happy with his new boss.

“Of course, it’s still very early days, but I do like how Laurent is working,” he said. “Very motivated, constantly asking the right questions to me, but also to the team. It’s nice to see.”

Meanwhile Russell, whose place at Mercedes had been considered at risk had Verstappen jumped ship, is believed to be close to finalising his new contract with the team. “Conversations have started, we are now heading into the summer break,” he said. When asked if it was now only a question of how his contract would look, the British driver replied: “Yes, I guess so”.

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