Max Verstappen says he's staying at Red Bull for 2026

Four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull in 2026, quashing rumors he intended to depart for Mercedes.

He confirmed the decision on Thursday in Budapest ahead of Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The speculation has been stirring for weeks since Toto Wolff, the team principal at Mercedes, said he was having talks with Verstappen, who is the reigning champ.

"I think it's time to basically stop all the rumors, and for me it's always been quite clear that I was staying anyway," he told reporters.

Verstappen, 27, said the speculation wasn't necessary.

"The thing is, people are waffling so much throughout the whole season while the only one that actually can or should speak is not speaking," he said.

"That's me, and I do that on purpose because it makes no sense to start throwing things around and actually that should be the same for everyone.

"Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama."

Wolff recently backed off the notion of making a change on his team, stating after the Belgian Grand Prix that he is happy with his pairing of George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli.

Verstappen said he is talks with Red Bull about wide-ranging plans for 2026. The team is under new leadership, with Laurent Mekies replacing longtime team principal Christian Horner.

So far, Verstappen likes what he has seen from Mekies.

"We discuss about a lot of things to be honest," Verstappen said. "He's very friendly, he's very open, very motivated, very driven.

"That's of course what you want to see from a boss and I like it. It's a nice atmosphere that he is creating and I'm very excited for the future, what we can do together."

Verstappen stands third in the current F1 driver standings with 185 points, behind a dominant McLaren team of Oscar Piastri (266 points) and Lando Norris (250).

Russell is in fourth with 157 points.

Verstappen has two wins and five podium finishes this season. In his career, the numbers are 65 and 117, respectively. He had double-digit race wins from 2021-23 with 10, 15 and 19.

--Field Level Media