At Silverstone, Max Verstappen once again declined to comment on the persistent rumours linking him with a potential move from Red Bull to Mercedes for the 2026 season.
Toto Wolff, head of the Mercedes team, has publicly stated his interest in recruiting the four-time world champion.
According to sources, Verstappen`s current contract with Red Bull, which runs until 2028, includes a performance clause allowing him to leave if he is outside the top three in the championship standings heading into the summer break in August.
Verstappen is currently ranked third, holding a nine-point advantage over Mercedes driver George Russell. Speculation suggests Verstappen could potentially replace Russell, whose contract status beyond the current season remains undecided.
Just last week, following a challenging period of results, Verstappen had emphasized that his sole focus was on developing Red Bull`s car for the 2025 season.
When questioned again this week about the rumours, he stated, “I have nothing further to say. My position remains unchanged.” He added concerning the previous race, “Last week wasn`t a strong result, and generally not a great weekend, partly due to bad luck. While I don`t claim we would have challenged McLaren, we could have achieved a respectable finish. Everything I said last week still stands. Nothing has changed from my perspective.”
Last week, Wolff confirmed that Mercedes plans to finalize their driver line-up for 2026 during the summer break, which starts after the Hungarian Grand Prix in early August. This timeframe coincides with the potential activation of Verstappen`s performance clause, depending on his championship standing.
Therefore, no definitive decisions regarding either Mercedes` plans or Verstappen`s future can be made until the conclusion of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Sources indicate that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is reportedly unconcerned by the situation. Many within the team apparently believe the Mercedes speculation is primarily fueled by Verstappen`s father, Jos, rather than Max himself.
The decision about where to drive in 2026 is complicated by the fact that Formula 1 is set to introduce significant changes to both aerodynamic and engine regulations that year.
Simply put, this regulatory overhaul means a potential reset of the competitive landscape, making it very difficult to accurately predict which teams will be dominant or which will face difficulties.
Sources suggest Mercedes is becoming increasingly optimistic about their 2026 engine design. However, this confidence doesn`t guarantee success, as Mercedes is currently trailing McLaren in the championship standings, despite supplying engines to the latter.
Red Bull will conclude its successful partnership with Honda at the end of this year and will use its own power units, developed with Ford, from 2026. The expectation within the Red Bull camp is that their new engine project may not be the strongest immediately. However, it remains impossible to determine how their 2026 engine will compare to rivals. Red Bull also historically relies on the strength of its chassis and aerodynamic design team.
When asked if moving to another team given the many unknowns of the 2026 regulations would be a risk, Verstappen responded, “That`s correct. That`s why I have a contract with Red Bull.”
A circulating theory suggests Verstappen might remain with Red Bull next year – possibly alongside George Russell on a one-year deal at Mercedes – to better evaluate the performance landscape before making a decision for 2026.
Some reports have even speculated that Verstappen might take a sabbatical year to observe the situation, but he provided a definitive answer only to this specific suggestion.
When asked directly if he might step away from F1 temporarily, he firmly replied, “No, no, definitely not.”
Verstappen has expressed growing interest in participating in GT racing, including a notable test at the Nurburgring under the alias Franz Herman.
He indicated he will continue exploring opportunities to increase his involvement in such events.
He commented, “Naturally, in the future, I will try to combine [F1] with any other possible forms of racing. I can`t prepare for it currently because I want to explore possibilities outside of Formula 1, which I`m already doing through testing and hope to do through racing eventually.”
