2016 Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg has argued that Max Verstappen’s confirmed future with Red Bull in 2026 means that Mercedes needs to “move quickly” to secure George Russell’s contract extension.
Verstappen, who is under contract with the Milton Keynes outfit until the end of 2028, had been linked to a move to Mercedes in 2026 after reports of an exit clause in his Red Bull deal.
Although Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff confirmed that he had been in talks with the Dutchman, he later admitted that the chances of him joining the Brackley outfit in 2026 were low and that the priority of the team was to continue with Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Following the speculation of a move to Mercedes, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko confirmed on Monday that Verstappen will remain with the team for 2026.
“Yes, I can confirm that Max Verstappen will drive for Red Bull in 2026,” Marko said.
An exit clause in his contract would have been available to use if the four-time champion had been fourth or lower in the drivers’ standings at the time of the F1 summer break. As it stands, he sits third with 185 points. Russell sits in fourth with 157 points, so is not in a position to overtake Verstappen in the Hungarian Grand Prix – the last race ahead of the break.
“It’s good to finally have clarity on that – that it was all around this exit clause,” Rosberg explained during an appearance on the Sky Sports F1 Show podcast. “And then beyond that, we don’t even know if he would have moved or not in any case.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images / NurPhoto via Getty Images
“But now it seems that that clause has triggered him to be obliged to stay at Red Bull, which still makes sense for him because it’s so difficult to judge which team is going to be best next year with the new regulations. And Red Bull certainly will be in a good position, I’m sure.
“So, we have clarity there. And now we need to see what does Mercedes do? Do they move quickly? I mean, they would have to move quickly to confirm George as a first thing, and then, how quickly do they move to confirm Kimi Antonelli? Which, I guess at the moment, they would take their time a little bit more.”
Both Russell and Antonelli are out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the year.
In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
