Max Verstappen to stay at Red Bull for 2026: 'Time to stop the rumours' - ESPN

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Max Verstappen has confirmed he will remain at Red Bull next year, saying it is «time to stop all the rumours» about his future.

The reigning champion's future has been the source of intense speculation in recent weeks after Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff made clear Verstappen was still of interest to his team.

ESPN reported on Monday that an exit clause in Verstappen's Red Bull contract would have allowed him to leave the team at the end of 2025 if he was fourth or lower in the championship after this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Following the Belgian Grand Prix last Sunday, in which Verstappen finished fourth, he sits in third in the F1 standings and far enough ahead of fourth-place George Russell (28 points) that he cannot be caught in Hungary.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko told German media earlier this week that Verstappen would stay at the team next year, and the 27-year-old confirmed the news in a press conference in Hungary on Thursday.

«Yeah, I mean, it's quite interesting to follow all that and the amount of nice stories that came out of it,» Verstappen said. «But yeah, 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 stop all the rumors. 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. And I think when you're not interested in staying, then you also stop talking about these kinds of things. And I never did.»

Verstappen signed