Max Verstappen ended weeks of speculation about his future on Thursday when the reigning Formula One world champion said he would be staying with Red Bull next year.
Verstappen said it was time to "stop all the rumors.”
“Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama. But, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year," the four-time champion said Thursday ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year.”
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through 2028. At recent races he had deflected questions about whether he'd stay with the team next year, and there had been indications that a performance-related clause could allow him to exit the contract early. The details of any clause are not public.
Mercedes driver George Russell had said he believed his team was holding talks with Verstappen, and speculation was further fueled by reports that Verstappen and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's yachts were off the Italian island of Sardinia at the same time.
“If my boat is next to Toto’s, then the boat is next to Toto’s," Verstappen said Thursday. "You can have a personal relationship with someone even if you don’t have a working relationship with someone.”
Verstappen's comments come less than a month after Christian Horner was removed from his role as Red Bull team principal after 20 years and replaced by Laurent Mekies.
