Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commented on the ongoing speculation linking reigning world champion Max Verstappen to a move to Mercedes, suggesting the driver finds the “noise” surrounding the rumors quite irritating.
The speculation intensified recently after Mercedes driver George Russell publicly stated on Thursday that he believed his own contract extension was being delayed by the team`s efforts to potentially sign Verstappen. Following this, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed on Friday that “conversations” had indeed taken place with Verstappen`s representatives.
Verstappen, who has secured the world championship in the last four consecutive seasons, currently has a contract with Red Bull that extends until 2028. However, it is understood that this agreement contains certain clauses which could potentially allow for an earlier departure.
Speaking after qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday, Horner described the situation as “a lot of noise,” adding, “I think Max gets quite annoyed by it.”
Horner emphasized the clarity of Verstappen`s contractual situation: “We are very clear with the contract that we have with Max until 2028. So, anything is entirely speculative that is being said, but we tend not to pay too much attention to it.”
When asked if he suspected Mercedes might be deliberately trying to unsettle Red Bull at their home race in Spielberg, Horner suggested that Russell`s comments were more likely born out of genuine frustration regarding his own contract status.
“I can imagine that George is frustrated he hasn’t been given a contract yet, but that’s between him and his team,” Horner stated. Regarding Verstappen, he added, “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.”
Mercedes` interest in Verstappen is not new; Toto Wolff had publicly expressed a desire to sign the Dutchman last year following Lewis Hamilton`s decision to switch to Ferrari. However, until this past weekend, Wolff had given the impression that the team was no longer actively pursuing the 27-year-old driver.
Verstappen`s relationship with Red Bull faced scrutiny last year after a significant disagreement between his father, Jos Verstappen, and Christian Horner. Despite this, the relationship between the driver`s camp and the team hierarchy seems to have become more stable since then.
The primary factor influencing Verstappen`s future decision is likely to be where he perceives the best opportunity to win further championships lies. Paddock discussions suggest that Mercedes might hold an advantage over competitors in the development of the new engine regulations set to be introduced in 2026.
It remains uncertain whether Verstappen might consider leaving Red Bull as early as the end of the current season or if he will wait to evaluate the competitive landscape during the first year under the radical new technical regulations in 2026.
Expert Opinion: Chandhok on Verstappen`s Future
F1 analyst Karun Chandhok shared his view, predicting that Verstappen is likely to remain with Red Bull for the 2026 season before potentially exploring other options in 2027 if a more competitive alternative emerges.
Chandhok commented, “We don’t know what the thresholds are in terms of him being able to extricate himself from the Red Bull contract, but if you were Max Verstappen, you would look next year at the performance of the top teams and then pick and choose where you want to go in the future.”
He added, “Because I think any of the teams of the grid would want to have Max in the car. He’s the standout driver of recent times. And from Max’s side, the new generation of rules and power units could set the tone for the next five or six years, like what happened with Lewis back in 2014.”
“For next year, there’s a bit of a dance going on where people are trying to gauge the situation. And then for 2027, the market could go completely mad,” Chandhok concluded.
