Max Verstappen has said he is staying at Red Bull for the 2025 season after facing fresh questions about his future at F1’s world champion team amid repeated links to Mercedes.
Despite being on a contract at Red Bull that runs to the end of 2028, Verstappen’s future at the team has been subject of on-off speculation all season following tensions at the start of the year following the investigation into Christian Horner and a public pursuit from Mercedes as they search for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton.
In the latest show of interest from Red Bull’s rivals, Mercedes-Benz chairman Ola Kallenius told Sky Germany at last week’s Spanish GP that Verstappen “would look good in silver”, although team boss and co-owner Toto Wolff subsequently said there were not any ongoing talks with the triple world champion.
Horner has repeatedly said that there was no doubt Verstappen would remain with Red Bull but, with the rumours about 2025 never having completely gone away, Verstappen was asked ahead of this weekend’s Austrian GP whether he wanted to finally put the speculation to bed once and for all by confirming he was staying put.
“I think I’ve said this before. Naturally, of course, people are talking but it’s most important just that we just have a very competitive car for the future,” said Verstappen, who is leading this year’s world championship by 69 points.
“At the moment, of course, it is very tight but we are working very well as a team to try and improve more.
“For sure, I said this already with the team, we are working and focusing also on next year to try and be competitive again.”
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Max Verstappen swiftly takes the lead from George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix
Asked if that meant that if his Red Bull car was not fastest by the end of the year, he would leave: “I don’t think that’s how Formula 1 works where then suddenly you could say ‘well, bye guys!”
“It’s not how it works.
“I’ve got a long contract with the team, I’m very happy where I’m at and, like I said before, we are focusing already on next year with things that we can implement on the car. So, I guess that should say enough of where I’m driving next year.”
Verstappen was then later asked to give a direct ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer over whether he would still be at Red Bull in 2025.
“You didn’t get that out of my answer before?” he replied, with a smile.
“I mean, ok, yes.
“But that’s what I said, we are already also working on next year’s car. I think when you are very focused on that that means you are also driving for the team.”
Wolff has previously described Verstappen as his number-one target to replace the Ferrari-bound Hamilton, although it has always appeared more likely – at least for 2025 – that Mercedes will ultimately promote their promising junior driver Kimi Andrea Antonelli, who turns 18 in August, to the vacant seat next to George Russell.
But with Antonelli, who is midway through his maiden F2 season, already under a Mercedes junior contract, Wolff has insisted he will not rush their final driver decision for 2025.
Wolff said last week: “No driver decision has been made. I said we want to keep this decision as long as possible because who knows what will happen.”
Verstappen: Red Bull have ‘all the tools’ to make success of 2026 engine
One theory as to why Verstappen – who is understood to have a break clause in his long-term Red Bull contract linked to Helmut Marko’s continued presence at the team – could be considering his options for the future is the major looming change in engine regulations coming to F1 in 2026.
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Listen in to Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton discussing the Spanish Grand Prix straight after the race.
Red Bull, in partnership with Ford, are developing their own F1 engine for the first time, whereas Mercedes – who dominated the early years of F1’s current hybrid power unit era from 2014 – have a proven track record in producing competitive engines for different regulations.
Asked what he was hearing about Red Bull’s progress for 2026 and his involvement in their preparation work, Verstappen said: “Of course, I’m not the one designing the engine, but I find it incredibly important, of course, to know the basics, basically, and see where the project is headed.
“The team has hired a lot of good people. And honestly, the only thing that I can say about it is that everyone is pushing flat out to try and make it the fastest engine possible.
“And I like to be involved with the discussions. It’s a very exciting project for the whole team. And yeah, I have no doubt that everyone is trying their very best. And we have to wait and see, of course, how everything will be.
“But from what I can see at the factory, when I’ve been around, they have all the tools that they need to have to make it a success. And hopefully, of course, it will be.”
Sky Sports F1’s live Austrian GP schedule
Thursday June 27
12.30pm: Drivers’ Press Conference
Friday June 28
7.50am: F3 Practice
9am: F2 Practice
11am: Austrian GP Practice One (session starts at 11.30am)
12.55pm: F3 Qualifying
1.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3pm: Austrian GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 3.30pm)*
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments throughout the years at the Austrian Grand Prix
Saturday June 29
8.25am: F3 Sprint
10am: Austrian GP Sprint (race starts at 11am)*
12.25pm: F2 Sprint
2pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Austrian GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday June 30
7.25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up*
2pm: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction*
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
F1’s triple-header continues at the Austrian Grand Prix this coming week – with the Sprint format returning at the Red Bull Ring. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s big race at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime