Verstappen chooses continuity as Russell backs his Mercedes future

Max Verstappen has ended prolonged speculation over his Formula 1 future by signing a contract extension with Red Bull that runs through the end of 2030. The four-time world champion said his decision was driven by his belief in the people at the team and his long-standing ambition to complete his career with the Red Bull family.

“I always said ... my goal and target is to finish my career in this team,” Verstappen said, referring to a promise he made while Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz was still alive. He added that he does not feel the need to change teams simply for the sake of change, saying: “I don’t necessarily need to drive in another colour.”

Verstappen described his relationship with Team Principal Laurent Mekies as “really good, very open and transparent” and said it “feels absolutely right to continue here”. Although Red Bull has experienced an uneven 2026 season and has yet to win a race, Verstappen said he believes the team can return to the front.

“I have the belief in the people, that we can get back to the top,” he said. “I still want to win races, I’m hungry to win more.” He also praised the early performance of Red Bull Powertrains while stressing that the team must continue improving.

The Dutchman acknowledged the departures of senior figures including Christian Horner and Adrian Newey, as well as the planned 2028 move of his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to McLaren. However, he insisted that Red Bull “is still my family” and that new talent is already being brought into the organisation.

Verstappen’s decision also removes the possibility of a move to Mercedes, a scenario that had placed George Russell’s position under public scrutiny. Russell said ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix that he had always felt secure within Mercedes.

“My seat never felt under threat, and I felt 100% security with Toto and the team and that obviously now continues,” Russell said. Mercedes has previously indicated that it does not want to change its line-up of Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Russell is now focused on recovering ground in the championship. He said the priority was to improve his performance, build momentum through the remaining races and drive more instinctively after a difficult run of events.