Max Verstappen responds on the latest Mercedes rumours, as George Russell shares his thoughts along with F1 team bosses and drivers.
The rumours are back! It is relentless about Verstappen leaving Red Bull for Mercedes. After it ran through most of the 2024 F1 season, it has picked up speed in 2025 as well, especially since Russell is negotiating his stay with the German manufacture alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
It ran low-key for several months but since Austria, it has flared up. Russell initially indicated that it will be fine if Mercedes goes for Verstappen. Team boss Toto Wolff didn’t add much to it apart from the usual, but didn’t straight up denied any links or rumours as well.
It is certain that if Verstappen doesn’t happens, then they would wish to retain Russell. He has a deadline of summer break, while his counterpart in the Red Bull, Horner, put it down as ‘noise’. The Brit feels Mercedes has more on its table than checking the availability of the Dutchman.
In between Austria and Britain, Italian media further put spice in the story by claiming sources about Mercedes in real talking with the Verstappen camp. The Dutchman didn’t wish to add anything extra to what he said in Austria, when he was pressed on by media to start the British GP weekend.
He even questioned regarding the rumours, as to who is throwing the information in the media. But Verstappen ruled out any chances of sabbatical from F1 just yet, even though he wishes to compete in other championships, especially in sportscar racing where he has tested a couple of times.
Russell, meanwhile, kept the Mercedes loyalty factor in his answers when asked about his contract and F1 future. He denied talking to any other teams, after his name was linked to Aston Martin. He is not sure about how 2026 will pan out, but has faith on the German manufacturer to be the best.
Other F1 drivers shared their thoughts, where Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton showed regret of putting down Red Bull as ‘just another energy drinks company’ during his time at Mercedes. The Brit will be closely watching if Verstappen does ends up at his former team or not.
Red Bull and Mercedes team bosses –
Christian Horner: “Look I mean, I think they’ve [Mercedes] got their own problems because they were 62 seconds behind their race leader in Austria. So, Mercedes have got their own issues. For us, we just focus on ourselves, we know what the situation is with Max. We know what the contracts are with Max and the rest is, all noise, that’s not coming from him. I think the thing is there are no silver bullets in this business and I think that progress takes time and you have to understand the issues and then address them and of course, I think partly this year has exposed some of the issues we have with some of our tools and of course, we are working hard to understand that because we don’t want to be in this situation moving forward and there is one team that is a stand out. But the rest of them, it keeps moving from weekend to weekend of who the best of the rest is.”
Toto Wolff (Russell contract): “Nothing. He [Russell] has been part of our program since ten years or so. He’s always performed to the expectations that we have set, and he’s continuing to do so. We haven’t given him a car to win a world championship in the last three years, so that’s completely on us. And the times the car has been good, he has been winning races. And you can see today, he’s always there. You know that when he’s getting in the car, he’s going to extract what is in the car. Having said that, for whatever reason, in early summer, those kinds of contract discussions start to end up being accelerated in the media or accelerated because of a lack of information. What I have been doing the last 30 years in a normal business, contract discussions are not being held as town halls. So, everything is normal. Everything goes to plan. He needs to be top of the list because he’s a race winner with us. He’s a Mercedes junior. He’s been with the team for a long time.”
Wolff (Verstappen saga): “Again, we are going into territory that I don’t want to discuss out here. But people talk, people explore, and most important is that in our organisation, we are transparent. But it doesn’t change a millimetre of my opinion of George, his abilities, or anything else. Whether I like it or not, I like what George says, and I’m always supportive of the driver. There’s no such thing as saying things I wouldn’t want him to say. I think we are very transparent in the team for what we do, what we plan, and we’ve been like that since I was put in charge. So that’s not the issue. At the moment, clearly, you need to explore what’s happening in the future, but it doesn’t change anything of what I said before about George or about Kimi, about the line-up that I’m extremely happy to have. You make it sound like we have been asking when do you want to join and here are the terms. That’s not how it is and how it works. I come back to my previous answer. I just want to have the conversations behind closed doors, not town halls.
“We have two drivers that have been in our program since a long time, drivers that I’m perfectly happy to have, drivers that will do great in the future of the team. So it’s a bit different, the situation. Define flirting. No, nothing’s changed. There is no ‘flirt’ in that sense. Depends how you act. You can flirt, or you have conversations. Well, I can imagine every lineup [even George and Max]. I had Rosberg and Hamilton fighting for a world championship, so everything else afterwards is easy. There’s pros and cons of having two drivers fighting each other hard. We’ve seen examples where that functioned and other examples where it didn’t. When it comes to the contract situation, our sport is pressure, constant pressure. Whether you’re in the car, outside of the car, you just need to cope with that, and George knows that, like any other driver knows it. I feel that when you’re being put in a comfort zone, sometimes that is actually more detrimental to performance than having a certain pressure point in the system.”
Deadline –
Wolff: “You need to be respectable towards the stakeholders in all of that process. The organisation, the drivers, everybody. You need to understand the way forward. And I don’t want to be sadistic in letting a driver wait or not taking any decisions when it should be taken. So, I feel we’re in a good space. We’re in June, obviously there’s lots of discussions around. And I’ve been open with it and transparent. And at a certain stage in the next couple of months until the summer break, everything is going to be done. Maybe in the middle.”
What Max Verstappen and George Russell have to say –
Max Verstappen (in Austria): “I’ve had that question [whether he will stay at Red Bull in 2026] before as well in my life! Yeah. I don’t think we need to talk about that. I don’t know, do you want me to repeat what I said last year? I don’t know. It’s the same answer. I don’t even remember what I said last year, really. But again, it’s not really on my mind. Just driving well, trying to push the performance, and then we focus on next year.”
Verstappen (in Britain): “I have nothing else to add compared to what I said last week [in Austria], to be honest. Last week we didn’t have a great result. I think it was not a great weekend, but also a bit unlucky in general. I don’t say that we would have been challenging McLaren, but we could have had a decent result. Everything that I’ve said that week is still the same. Nothing has changed from my side. Who says that [my camp is speaking to Mercedes]? I have nothing to add. I am not speaking about my contract [in relation to clause of being in Top 3 by end of July], to be honest.
“It is easier to write down for everyone. That’s right [about not being sure who does well in 2026], that’s why I am contracted to Red Bull. Like I said, nothing has changed from my side. There is no decision at the moment. For me, it’s not about ’26 or whatever. I just focus on what I have ahead of me, work with the team. And then, of course, a lot of people make up assumptions, but you know that’s not me. Like I said last week, that’s all that I have to say about it.”
Verstappen (sabbatical): “No, no, no, no. F1 for sure and I’ll try in the future, combine it with any kind of other racing that is possible, what I can prepare for. Because I do want to of course explore a bit out of Formula 1, which because I’m already doing with testing but eventually also racing. And No, no, for sure [no sabbatical from F1].”
George Russell (rumours and everything): “No messing around there. No updates since the last time we spoke. Honestly, as I’ve said for the majority of this season, I’m just focused on the driving. I mean, there’s a lot of conversations behind the scenes that are not public. And I know where their loyalty lies. It doesn’t need to be public. It doesn’t need to be broadcast to everybody. We’ve obviously spoken a little bit more over the last week because there’s numerous news articles and whatnot out there. But in all honesty, it doesn’t really change anything my side because, as I’ve said before, I feel I’m performing better than ever. And it’s as simple as that really. Performance speaks for everything. And no [I am not talking to other teams]. I mean, that’s for you to judge. For me, I feel quite thick-skinned, and I don’t really read much news or listen to rumours. I just focus on the facts, and I focus on the driving. I said it at the beginning of this year, you can have a contract, but if you don’t perform, you’re out. And if you do perform, everything sorts itself out.
“So, yeah, from my side, not really much more to add really and just focus on the driving as I’ve been for this whole year. I mean, every team has two seats available, and it’s normal that every team is considering what the future holds. And I don’t take that personally because I made it clear from the beginning. I’m happy to be team-mates with anybody. So of course there’s lots of conversations, lots of rumours, and all of these are being pointed towards me. But from my side, that isn’t really going to be the case. I want to continue with Mercedes into the future. The fact is, Toto has never let me down. He’s always given me his word, but he’s also got to do what’s right for his team, which includes me. But it also includes the thousands of people who work for Mercedes. For me, it’s nothing to worry about because I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere. And whoever my teammate will be, it doesn’t concern me either. So, just focus on the driving.”
Russell (Mercedes best chance): “I think so. I think going into next year, there are so many unknowns. So many unknowns with the car, so many unknowns with the engine, with the fuel. And I think for us, from both sides, our best opportunity of winning is to continue as we are. We’re performing, I feel, at the racetrack at a very high level. I feel I’m performing at a high level. I’ve been working with the team now. Will be going into my fifth year next year. And I think for all of us, you know, Lando, Charles, drivers who have been with their teams for so long, when you’re going into such a fresh start, I think consistency gives you your best shot.”
Russell (deadline, contingency plans): “I mean, there’s not really any deadline in place, to be honest. Obviously, naturally, you try and have stuff done before the summer break. From my side, Mercedes manage me as well, so it’s not really a deadline in my hands as such. So, yeah, not really. And I’m not even thinking about it right now. Obviously, there’s a lot of questions about it. But the more we speak, the less we speak about it, nothing really changes. It’ll happen when the time is right. I expect probably in the next couple of weeks, probably something to happen. But, yeah, we’ll need to wait and see. As for plans, [I am] pretty confident, to be honest.
“Because I think what I’ve proven so far is plenty enough and not really much more to say. Any teams who did reach out in the past, I said, look, I am loyal to Mercedes. That’s where my future lies. Ultimately, Mercedes are my managers, so it has to be dealt through Mercedes in the first place. But there hasn’t been a lack of interest, let’s say. But I’ve been focused on my side. I am loyal to Mercedes. At the end of the day, everything will work itself out. And the likelihood I’m not at Mercedes next year, I think is exceptionally low.”
F1 drivers take –
Lewis Hamilton: “I mean, he’s coming from a great team. Many many years ago, I was being asked something, I think I was just so diehard Mercedes at the time, and I remember saying something about Red Bull being only a drinks company, and I always regretted it, because I was just saying that Mercedes at the time was just great, I was really just trying to gee up my team. But the truth is, Red Bull have been an incredible team. There’s so many people there that are exceptional, and they’ve dominated for years. But what I can say, if anyone was going to ask me about Mercedes, it’s an amazing team also, with naturally the passion, they’ve got great personnel, it’s a great factory, great environment to work in. So, of course I would say… Be interesting to see what happens.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli: “I mean, obviously, there’s a lot going on, but I’m sure the team is doing their best to provide the best for the future as well. Because, obviously, they’re not looking only for next year, but they’re looking as well for the future. So, obviously, there’s a lot going on, but a lot of talks. But my goal is just to try and do my best, no matter what. As for me, no, no, no. I got this opportunity from Mercedes and there’s no talks with anyone else going on. I’m very happy where I am. And I’m also quite sure with the team and also what they want from me. So I think, you know, now in my case I need to just do my best, minimise all the mistakes and then try to deliver the best job as possible. But I know the team has a lot of trust in me and so, yeah, I’m not really worried.”
Pierre Gasly: “Surprised? Not really. Max is probably the best driver on the grid. Any driver wants the best car available and it is not what he gets at the minute. I think it is normal that he will be looking at options and look what is possible after. At the end of the day he is a four-time world champion and it is down to him whatever he wants to do and I guess we will find out pretty soon. I am racing for Alpine and I want to win for Alpine.”
Carlos Sainz: “I think first of all, things you’re commenting on, at the moment it looks like it’s rumours. I don’t know how much of the truth is going on, on that end of things, but Williams knows that…my commitment for the next two years and beyond if the situation allows. I believe the trajectory we’re on, and I am very confident with the choice I made.”
Fernando Alonso: “No. No advice [to Verstappen]. Well, I can be a consultant, but they need to pay a huge amount of money, at the moment, no advice.”
Here’s Yuki Tsunoda on Austria
Here’s Toto Wolff on Austria
Here’s Max Verstappen, Andrea Kimi Antonelli on Austria
