Overview

• Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos says Verstappen’s mid-season drop outside the top two activated a performance exit clause in his contract.
• Toto Wolff confirms closed-door talks with Verstappen have intensified as Mercedes eyes its 2026 driver lineup.
• Christian Horner dismisses transfer rumours as speculative noise and insists Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull until 2028.
• Sky in Italy reports that Verstappen is open to a 2026 switch to Mercedes, though the board remains uncertain about the necessity of signing him.
• F1’s 2026 technical overhaul and Mercedes’s promising new power unit project underpin Verstappen’s leverage in ongoing contract discussions.