One of the biggest talking points in the Formula 1 driver market this season appears to be resolved.
All eyes were on whether Max Verstappen would abandon Red Bull at the end of this year as his run of drivers’ championships looks set to come to an end.
McLaren have dominated this season and, after being the quickest team on the grid in 2024, they’ve taken another step forward this year.
In contrast, Red Bull have remained static, and while Verstappen won races at Suzuka and Imola, they were outliers in what has ultimately been a frustrating season.
Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 266 2 250 3 185 4 157 5 139 6 109 7 63 8 54 9 37 10 27
Question marks over Pierre Wache remain at Red Bull, and after the British Grand Prix, long-serving team principal Christian Horner was removed from his role.
The backdrop of all of this is that the Dutchman’s long-term future at Red Bull was questioned, especially when there was the threat of Verstappen’s performance clause being activated.
Verstappen finished ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell at the Belgian Grand Prix, meaning the clause can no longer be activated this season.
Mercedes long held an interest in Verstappen, and the role Toto Wolff played in negotiations is now being questioned.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Photo by Clive Rose – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesToto Wolff ‘didn’t really put in the effort’ during Max Verstappen to Mercedes negotiations
Journalist Ralf Bach was speaking on the F1 Insider YouTube channel about the apparent conclusion of the Verstappen to Mercedes saga.
He explained: “He will stay; they don’t even want to make it official.
“I know he’s staying; he’s decided not to go to Mercedes. One reason for this is that he obviously doesn’t want to let the team down and wants to give Red Bull another year’s chance to perhaps turn things around, despite the new engine regulations.
“He didn’t want to just run away. I think he would have seen that a little bit himself, too.
Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“If Horner was sacrificed for him, then he should pay it back by trying to get things back on track together with the new guys.
“And as for Mercedes, I think Toto Wolff is more of a problem there.
“They didn’t really put in the effort, I think. And above all, I think Max was seeing him too often in Monaco, and he should actually be sitting in his company in Brackley all the time, and he’s not doing that at the moment.
“And maybe he doesn’t have to, I don’t know, but that was also the soft approach to the outside world.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 CEO and team principal Toto Wolff
Mercedes preparing George Russell contract as Kimi Antonelli seeks to improve his performance
Although Verstappen hasn’t publicly confirmed his plans to stay at Red Bull, because his contract runs until 2028, he technically doesn’t need to.
However, Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko told Sport.de that the Dutchman wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Marko’s statement would have allowed Russell and Kimi Antonelli to begin relaxing about their Formula 1 futures.
TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacN/AN/AFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN/AN/ARacing BullsN/AN/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers
Russell looks set to sign a new contract imminently, handing him more assurances about his long-term future when it looked like, for a long time, that he would be the driver to make way should Mercedes sign Verstappen.
On the other side of the garage, Antonelli has been having a difficult time recently, failing to score points in six of the last seven race weekends.
However, with Verstappen no longer on the market, it should only be a matter of time until he also puts pen to paper.
Wolff will wonder if he really did enough to convince Verstappen to join Mercedes in 2026.
It all points to both parties considering next year to be far more vital when it comes to a potential move.