Max Verstappen’s father drops a 5-word response to Red Bull star’s rumored move to F1 rivals Mercedes

Speculation about Max Verstappen's future had intensified recently after comments made by Formula 1 expert Jack Plooij. He suggested a possible switch in 2026 for the Red Bull #1 to rivals Mercedes. But Max's father, Jos Verstappen shut down these rumors and labeled it as "nonsense."

Max Verstappen is now a four-time Formula One champion, winning back-to-back championships since 2021. He joined Red Bull in 2016 and signed a contract extension in 2022 that keeps him on the team until 2028. The long-term contract makes the rumored move an unexpected development as Max looks at another successful year with the Oracle RBR.

The rumor stems from Jack Plooij's comments on the Dutch channel Ziggo Sport. He suggested that such a transfer could happen in 2026 on top of Red Bull's form, which faltered in the second half as Verstappen won only two of the last 14 races in the 2024 F1 season. But Jos Verstappen put a quick end to these rumors.

"What nonsense are you talking" Jos responded.

This short response reinforced the Verstappen family's commitment to the Red Bull team and dismissed the speculation. While Max Verstappen did not make any statements at this time, he had hinted at considering future options in December 2024.

"I'm still very young, so a lot can still happen in the future as well. For me it's not just about F1 either. After that, I also want to do a lot of things. I am also thinking about that." Max told Dutch reporter Viaplay.

Mercedes team owner Toto Wolff has also been a vocal fan of Max and looks at him as the most likely candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton in the long run. Lewis moved to Ferrari in the summer of 2025 ending a 12-year affair with Mercedes. Finding a worthy replacement for the seven-time champion will be challenging for Wolff, and no one more worthy than Max can fill those shoes. This also adds to the constant speculation about Max's potential move away.

(From Left) Christian Horner, Max Verstappen and Dr Helmut Marko all smiles at Abu Dhabi- Source: Getty

The Red Bull camp was also host to tensions between team principal Christian Horner and team advisor Helmut Marko. The power struggle within the organization and leadership tensions have created further uncertainty. Max has been publicly supportive of Marko and made it clear that if he was sacked, Max could move away as well. But Marko remained and ended all speculation at the at MK-7 in Milton Keynes.

Max Verstappen in doubt ahead of the 2025 season with Red Bull

Red Bull's pre-season testing at Bahrain has brought in mixed results for the team and left Max Verstappen cautiously optimistic ahead of the F1 2025 season opener at the Australian GP. Over the three-day trials, Red Bull's RB 21 showed enough reliability, clocking a total of 393 laps. But Verstappen's best lap time stood at 1:30.755 on Day 1.

Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen ahead of Testing in Bahrain - Day 1 - Source: Getty

Verstappen was the fourth fastest behind Williams' Carlos Sainz (1m 29.348s), Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton (1m 29.379s), and Mercedes's George Russell (1m 29.545s). Verstappen's car also had an uncharacteristic spin on the final afternoon. After the testing, he said to F1:

"I think it wasn't bad, but at the same time there is still a bit of work to do. However, it is what we expected and we will keep on working and keep on trying to improve and, hopefully, as we go into [the first Grand Prix in] Melbourne, we will learn a bit more by going through all the data and see where we are at. It is difficult to tell where everyone’s pace is, so there is still a bit of work to do for us. We are looking forward to starting racing properly again in Australia."

Technical Director Pierre Wache also echoed similar sentiments post testing. He clarified that Red Bull's engineers would analyze the data and look into a single lap pace to understand tire degradation under racing conditions. With McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari improving on their vehicles, Red Bull's dominance in previous seasons might be challenged.