For Max Verstappen, the decision to stay with Red Bull until 2026 was ‘very simple’. The Dutchman was not at all concerned about his team choice for the next season, even though he is not achieving the same results with the RB21 as during the dominant Red Bull years. Verstappen did, however, have a conversation with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff in Sardinia.
It all started during the Austrian Grand Prix, when George Russell announced that his employer, Mercedes, was in talks with Max Verstappen. The rumor mill then went into overdrive, and even the yachts of the Dutchman and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff were tracked on social media to Sardinia. The two were supposedly there to discuss a potential switch of Verstappen to the Silver Arrows.
However, in Hungary, Verstappen put an end to all the stories himself. The Dutchman confirmed he would be driving for Red Bull in 2026. A ‘very simple’ decision, the world champion calls it himself in an interview with ESPN. “I was never really worried about it. Of course, you always want to win, but on the other hand, you also have to work for good performances. People always make up stories and ask questions. For me, however, it was already clear.”
Lunch with Wolff
Verstappen adds that he is ‘quite relaxed’ about thinking about his future. “I just live my life, and see what happens. There’s nothing wrong with listening to proposals from other teams, but I had everything under control.” The talks with Wolff were therefore not a secret. “I just had lunch with Toto and the family, and that’s perfectly fine. Our yachts were next to each other because we were staying in the same bay overnight.”
