Formula 1’s driver market intrigue around Max Verstappen and George Russell continues to bubble away – as speculation swirls about where both drivers will end up next year.
Various media reports have surfaced since Austria, with some suggesting that talks between Verstappen and Mercedes are accelerating, and others even claiming that the four-time champion had agreed a deal to join the German manufacturer.
Sources insist that such stories are wide of the mark, even though talks have taken place between Verstappen's representatives and Mercedes about a potential future tie-up – either for 2026 or beyond.
Such discussions appear, however, to be more a case of Verstappen's camp approaching Mercedes to see what its situation is, rather than a plot by the squad to chase the four-time world champion and replace Russell.
In the meantime, Mercedes continues talking to Russell - with team boss Toto Wolff making it clear that any ongoing contract negotiations between team and driver will be conducted in private and not done via a town hall meeting.
It means the outcome will not be known until there is pen on paper.
However, the media day ahead of the British Grand Prix has helped produce a little more clarity on where both drivers’ minds are at right now regarding their future.
Russell doesn't think he's going anywhere
Russell has long been emphatic that he wants a new Mercedes deal, today saying “the likelihood I’m not at Mercedes next year is exceptionally low”. And he’s probably right. But any driver will rightly be wary of being left out in the cold by an unexpected deal. `
What’s more, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hardly been backward in coming forward about his pursuit of Verstappen in the past - even if he is now being more coy in this sensitive period. And Russell will naturally want to try and force the issue, meaning he constantly stresses his intention to continue with Mercedes, and his confidence in Wolff.
“I want to continue with Mercedes into the future,” says Russell. “The fact is, Toto has never let me down. He’s always given me his word, but he’s also got to do what’s right for his team, which includes me. But it also includes the thousands of people who work for Mercedes. For me, it’s nothing to worry about because I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere.”
This is symptomatic of Russell's tone when asked repeated questions about his future. The core message is he wants, and expects, to stay - but reading between the lines, there's a clear message that he wants this locked down as soon as possible.
And, of course, he's very aware of the threat posed by the possibility of a Verstappen deal.
He's confident if Mercedes doesn't come through
When asked if he’s talking to other teams, Russell gave an emphatic “no”. However, that simply means both that he’s not in conversations personally at this exact moment, and does not preclude the fact that his management are.
“Pretty confident, to be honest,” he said when asked by The Race how confident he was in the contingency plans and alternatives he has.
“Because I think what I’ve proven so far is plenty enough and not really much more to say. Any teams who did reach out in the past, I said ‘I am loyal to Mercedes, that’s where my future lies’. Ultimately, Mercedes are my managers, so it has to be dealt through Mercedes in the first place. But there hasn’t been a lack of interest, let’s say. But I’ve been focused on my side.”
While he’s right that Mercedes is effectively his manager, a driver in his situation must always be feeling out the options so there’s no doubt he knows exactly what the alternatives would be should Mercedes not give him a new deal.
Given how strongly he’s performed in 2025, he’s right to be confident - especially given this scenario would almost certainly mean Red Bull needs a topliner to lead the team.
Verstappen rules out sabbatical
One possibility that emerged over the Austrian GP weekend was that, rather than choosing between Red Bull and Mercedes, Verstappen could even be considering stepping away from F1 for a year – to better position himself for a return in 2027.
This would free him up to increase his involvement in his Verstappen.com Racing sportscar team – having been playing close attention to its progress this year and also joining for some testing outings at the Nurburgring Nordschleife and Spa-Francorchamps.
While Verstappen has repeatedly dodged questions about where he will be racing in F1 amid the ongoing Mercedes rumours, he was more definitive at Silverstone on Thursday about any talk of him stepping away from grand prix racing entirely.
In a short response to a question about the idea of him taking a sabbatical, he said: “No.”
Pushed a bit further to clarify whether he was ruling out an F1 sabbatical, because a full-on sportscar programme would not mean sitting on the sidelines completely, he said: “No, no, no. F1 for sure.
“But I'll try to of course in the future to combine it with any kind of other racing that is possible, that I can prepare for. I do want to, of course, explore a bit out of F1, because I'm already doing testing, but eventually also racing.”
… but won’t answer key Mercedes question
Verstappen has repeatedly drawn short of fully committing himself to racing for Red Bull in F1 next season.
Offered once again at Silverstone the chance to put the rumours to bed by saying he will definitely stay on next year, Verstappen replied: “Like I said last week, that's all that I have to say about it.”
Verstappen's stock response to any talk about where things are heading for 2026 is that his situation is unchanged from before.
“I have nothing else to add compared to what I said last week, to be honest,” he said at Silverstone. “Now, you know, last week we didn't have a great result.
“I think it was not a great weekend, but also a bit unlucky in general. I don't say, of course, that we will be challenging McLaren, but we could have had a decent result. And yeah, everything that I've said that week is still the same.
“You know, nothing has changed from my side.”
Asked by The Race that if that was the case then why were his representatives suddenly speaking to Mercedes about a seat in the future, Verstappen responded with a “Who says that?”
When pointed out to him that Mercedes itself has revealed these talks, with team boss Toto Wolff appearing at a press conference in Austria, Verstappen replied: “I have nothing to add.”
The situation still remains one where Verstappen is weighing up what to do, and trying to get a clear picture of his options, should he find himself in a situation where he can activate an exit clause in his contract.
That moment is not now, which is perhaps why Verstappen is not trying to get dragged into something that is purely hypothetical – as he could yet be completely locked in for next year anyway.
“There is no decision at the moment, you know,” he said. “So for me, it's not about 26 or whatever. I just focus on what I have ahead of me, work with the team. And then, of course, a lot of people make up assumptions. But you know, that's not me.”
