Max Verstappen addresses Mercedes rumours after latest Toto Wolff meeting

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen says it made “no sense” to comment publicly on recent rumours linking him with a move to Mercedes for the F1 2026 season.

It comes after the reigning four-time World Champion was spotted on holiday with Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, last week.

Max Verstappen explains silence during Mercedes saga

Despite being officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, Verstappen was heavily linked with a move to Mercedes prior to F1’s summer break.

However, the Dutchman moved to shut down the rumours at the Hungarian Grand Prix, telling media including PlanetF1.com that he will remain a Red Bull driver for F1 2026.

Verstappen’s statement came 24 hours after PlanetF1.com reported that George Russell is closing in on a new multi-year contract extension with Mercedes.

Russell, whose current deal is due to expire at the end of this season, had fuelled rumours at the Austrian Grand Prix by claiming that negotiations to take Verstappen to Mercedes were “ongoing.”

Verstappen remained tight lipped on his future throughout the saga, declining opportunities to commit his future to Red Bull until the final round before the summer break.

And the reigning World Champion has explained the reasons for his silence, claiming that any public interjection would have been “a bit of a waste of time.”

Verstappen told the official Formula 1 website: “The thing is that there’s always other people speaking a lot, while I’m not really talking, because first of all I don’t need to. I don’t need to say anything.

“I think that’s also better for everyone, instead of just waffling things around.

“It makes no sense anyway, it’s a bit of a waste of time.

“But for me I’m very focused on ’26 with the team, to look ahead and make sure that we nail the regulations, and that we are competitive from the start.”

Verstappen’s comments come after he was photographed on holiday with Wolff in Sardinia last week during the F1 2025 summer break.

PlanetF1.com understands that the images of the pair, which have circulated widely online, are genuine.

Verstappen has been limited to just two victories – in Japan and Emilia Romagna – so far in F1 2025, with the Dutchman set to lose his World Championship title to one of the dominant McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris, later this year.

The 27-year-old has admitted that Red Bull are currently in a “slight rebuilding” phase after the team’s considerable success over recent years.

He added: “Of course, the team has gone from of course winning championships before I arrived, to when I arrived, a bit through a rebuilding phase, and then we really hit the peak again of winning championships.

“Now I feel like slight rebuilding. We’re still, of course, a very strong team.

“But I do think that to make again a step up, there’s slight rebuilding or restructuring maybe, and understanding a little bit more what’s going on.

“That, of course, takes a little bit of time – but hopefully not too much time.

“I think that’s also a bit the mentality of the team [to respond to setbacks].

“It’s always been like that, so I’m not too worried about that.”

Next season will see Red Bull produce its own engines for the first time via its newly established Powertrains division, which will work in collaboration with US marque Ford as current supplier Honda links up with Aston Martin.

Christian Horner, the recently departed Red Bull team principal, played down expectations for the RBPT-Ford for next season at the recent British Grand Prix.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at Silverstone, Horner admitted that it would be “embarrassing” for rival manufacturers – Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and newcomer Audi F1 – if Red Bull-Ford produces a better engine at the first attempt.