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23h ago

Verstappen Commits to Red Bull as Mercedes Nears Russell Extension

Verstappen’s third-place standing at the Hungarian GP voided his midseason exit option, leaving Mercedes to finalise a multi-year contract extension for Russell before the summer break

Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 27, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrates on the podium after winning the Belgian Grand Prix with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris and third placed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc REUTERS/Yves Herman
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Overview

  • Helmut Marko confirmed that Max Verstappen will race for Red Bull in 2026 after his points gap at Hungary automatically deactivated his exit clause
  • Christian Horner’s July dismissal led to Laurent Mekies stepping in as Red Bull team principal to drive performance recovery under cost-cap limits
  • Mercedes has secured George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli for its 2026 lineup, with Russell set to sign a new multi-year deal ahead of the August shutdown
  • Russell has delivered Mercedes’ strongest season so far with one victory and four additional podiums despite recent handling issues that prompted emergency technical meetings
  • Both Red Bull and Mercedes are emphasising driver continuity and strengthened engineering leadership as they prepare for sweeping 2026 regulation changes