After weeks of hypothesis and rumor, Max Verstappen has made it official.
He’s staying at Purple Bull for the 2026 System 1 season.
In current weeks, experiences of Verstappen making a surprising transfer to Mercedes emerged within the F1 world, with Italian media shops indicating that the swap was nearing completion. These rumors got some gas when Toto Wolff admitted that there have been “conversations” happening, and the dismissal of Christian Horner as Purple Bull Workforce Principal added yet one more wrinkle.
Add within the expectations that Mercedes could also be on the entrance foot when the 2026 rules arrive, and you’ve got the potential for such a transfer.
However Verstappen made it clear on Thursday forward of the Hungarian Grand Prix that he’s staying with the group subsequent season.
“I’ve by no means actually mentioned something about it as a result of I used to be simply centered on speaking to the group about how we will enhance our efficiency, future concepts for subsequent yr as nicely, and that’s why I had nothing actually so as to add,” he mentioned to the media on the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“However I feel it’s time to principally cease all of the rumors, and for me it’s all the time been fairly clear that I used to be staying anyway.”
“I feel that was additionally the overall feeling within the group anyway, as a result of we have been all the time in discussions about what we might do with the automotive. And if you’re not curious about staying, then you definitely additionally cease speaking about these sort of issues – and I by no means did.”
Verstappen presently sits third within the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings with 185 factors, behind second-place Lando Norris and championship chief Oscar Piastri.
He’s additionally on his longest podium drought since 2019, as he has now gone three races with out a top-three end.
Which, greater than anything, speaks to his brilliance as a driver, why Mercedes needed him within the fold, and why Purple Bull hoped to maintain him with the group.
