Christian Horner has strongly dismissed the swirling links about Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull for Mercedes, making it clear the Dutch world champion is “committed” to the team until 2028.
Despite persistent paddock chatter at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg following George Russell‘s suggestion Mercedes are talking to Verstappen, the Red Bull boss says neither he nor the Dutchman is paying much attention to the speculation.
“It’s a lot of noise,” Horner told Sky Sports F1. “I think Max gets quite annoyed by it. We’re very clear that the contract we have with Max is until 2028. Anything is entirely speculative that is being said. We tend not to pay too much attention to it.”
Wolff, Russell and Verstappen respond to ongoing rumors
The talk around Verstappen’s future has only intensified with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and current Mercedes driver Russell both weighing in on the situation.
Wolff was pragmatic about the chances of landing Verstappen, saying, “I think when you look at the situation we have with Kimi and George, we have a perfect line-up that we believe is the future. I would give a move to Max very little probability of happening.”
Russell, meanwhile, acknowledged the competitive nature of the Formula 1 driver market, explaining, “If you’re going to be back on top you need to make sure you’ve got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pit crew, and that’s what Mercedes are chasing.
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“So, it’s only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I’m performing as I’m doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team.”
Horner added further context by referencing Russell’s own situation: “I can imagine that George is frustrated he’s not been given a contract yet.
“That’s between him and his team. The situation with Max, we know clearly where we’re at and obviously as does Max. Everything is subject to noise and obviously within any contract it remains confidential between the parties.”
When asked directly about the latest rumours, Verstappen himself was characteristically blunt. “Do you want me to repeat what I said last year? It’s not really on my mind. Just driving well, trying to push the performance, and then we focus on next year.”
Verstappen continued, “I don’t have much to add to that. I determine my own future. Every time I say something it gets blown up in the media, so I prefer to just focus on racing.”
Mercedes links and Red Bull’s confidence
While speculation around the 2026 driver market continues, the clear message from both Horner and Red Bull is that Max Verstappen’s future is not up for debate—at least for now.
Both the driver and the team insist that the contract runs through 2028 and that “noise” in the paddock will not distract from their championship ambitions.
As Mercedes keep their options open and the driver market shifts ahead of new technical regulations, the champions from Milton Keynes are standing firm, determined to retain their most valuable asset.
