F1 champion Max Verstappen says he will remain with Red Bull for 2026 season

Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen says he is staying with Red Bull next year, ending months of speculation over his future.

"Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama. But, for me, it's always been quite clear, and also for next year," the four-time reigning world titleholder said on Thursday, ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. "I'm discussing with the team already the plans – the things that we want to change for next year – so that means that I'm also staying with the team for next year."

The Dutch driver's contract with Red Bull runs through 2028. He had deflected questions at recent races about whether he would stay with the team next year, and speculation indicated that a performance-related clause could allow him to make an early exit. The details of his deal and its relevant clauses are not public.

The announcement added some much-needed stability for Red Bull, less than a month after Christian Horner was removed as team principal after 20 years and replaced by Laurent Mekies. Verstappen last week dismissed a suggestion that Horner's firing would affect his decision on his future.

Red Bull is more dependent on Verstappen than any of F1's other leading teams are on any one driver. Among the 192 points Red Bull has scored this season, Verstappen contributed 185, while his teammate Yuki Tsunoda hasn't finished in the top ten in the last six races.

Teams are also well underway in the process of developing cars for the major rule changes coming in 2026, so it would be especially disruptive to Red Bull if Verstappen were to leave.

Mercedes driver George Russell previously said he believed his team was holding talks with Verstappen, those rumors further fueled by reports that yachts belonging to the 27-year-old and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff were sighted off the Italian island of Sardinia at the same time.

"If my boat is next to Toto's, then the boat is next to Toto's," Verstappen said. "You can have a personal relationship with someone even if you don't have a working relationship with someone."

With Verstappen out of the running for a Mercedes seat, the team could speed up work on extensions for Russell and his 18-year-old rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli, who are not contracted beyond 2025.

Russell and Verstappen are the only non-McLaren drivers to win Grand Prix races this season, while Antonelli started his debut campaign strongly, but has missed out on the points in the last three races.

Verstappen will line up for his 200th career race with Red Bull on Sunday, but it's not the first time his future with the team has appeared uncertain. Last season, he confirmed his commitment to Red Bull in June amid suggestions Mercedes could sign him to replace Lewis Hamilton, who had already announced he would move to Ferrari at the end of the campaign.