Max Verstappen has publicly confirmed that he will remain with Red Bull Racing for the 2026 F1 season, calling for an end to the persistent Mercedes rumours.
On the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the reigning Formula 1 world champion revealed there was no doubt in his mind whether he would stay with the Milton Keynes-based outfit but it was “interesting” to let the swirling rumours play out.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s quite interesting to follow all that and the amount of nice stories that came out of it,” Verstappen told media including Racetrackmasters.
“For me, 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 have nothing really to add ever. But yeah, 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.
“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.
“I think when you’re not interested in staying, then you also stop talking about these kinds of things and I never did.”
Verstappen’s statement serves as a significant development in the ongoing 2025 F1 “silly season,” as the driver market swells with frantic speculations. For over a year, whispers have circulated in the F1 paddocks that Max Verstappen might be persuaded to leave Red Bull.
However, rumours intensified over the past few weeks linking Verstappen to a potential Mercedes switch for 2026 F1, with several reports claiming his camp was negotiating a blockbuster move.
The Dutch driver is under contract with the Milton Keynes-based team until 2028, but it was widely reported—and subsequently confirmed by both Red Bull and independent sources—that his contract included a performance clause.
If Verstappen was outside the top three in the drivers’ championship standings at the summer break, he would have had the option to terminate his agreement early and become a free agent heading into the new Formula 1 era, which means the Mercedes rumours were partly true.
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At the close of the Belgian Grand Prix Verstappen sat comfortably in third, 28 points clear of fourth-place George Russell, effectively locking his status as a Red Bull driver for at least another season and rendering the clause moot.
With the clause now expired, the speculation surrounding Verstappen’s next move has ebbed much to the relief of the Red Bull camp and its legion of supporters.
Verstappen’s decision underlines both the strength of his relationship with the energy drinks manufacturer and his confidence in the team’s long-term project despite a dip in performance and internal unrest over the past eighteen months.
Red Bull Racing has taken action to reclaim its dominant form by establishing new leadership in form of Laurent Mekies after axing long-time team principal Christian Horner.
Heading to the 2025 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix Max Verstappen sits third in the championship standings while his teammate Yuki Tsunoda sits a distant 17th.
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