‘I'm very open-minded' – Max Verstappen hints at 2026 plans amid speculation he will quit Red Bull for Mercedes

The Sun

16 hours ago

MAX VERSTAPPEN revealed he is "very open-minded" about Formula One's massive regulation reset next season.
Teams are now solely focusing on the biggest regulation change in F1 history with nearly every technical classification being ripped up.
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The last big reset happened after Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 world title in the most dramatic season finale of all time.
And Red Bull came out best again, rising from the ashes of the controversy to replace Mercedes as the team to beat in the Constructors championship.
The new and bigger changes are set to establish a brand new pecking order with the rumour mill predicting Mercedes could regain their old supremacy next season.
For Verstappen and Red Bull, the new package creates a chance to re-establish itself as the benchmark in F1 after being dethroned by McLaren this time last year.
There has been speculation that Verstappen could defect to Mercedes, with team principal Toto Wolff confirming that talks had gone on behind closed doors.
But Verstappen remained coy when asked about his plans for next season, insisting that he'll "figure it out" no matter the team.
The four time world champion told RacingNews365:"I'm in the middle. Maybe it'll be good, maybe it'll be bad – we'll see.
"I'm very open-minded, honestly. I don't even think about it too much – I'm just enjoying the moment.
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"When I sit in the car next year, we'll figure it out. I'm not making the rules anyway.
"Even if I have my concerns, it's not going to change anything.
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"So I'll just jump in and drive it, and then we'll, along the way, get better at it, understand it better, like any regulation in the past.
"You keep optimising, keep improving, and then just go from there, really."
Mercedes are yet to offer No1 driver George Russell, 27, a new contract to his deal that expires at the end of the season, but the Brit could yet stay to maybe partner Verstappen in 2026.
Red Bull will enter a new era in a technical partnership with Ford as they build their own Red Bull Powertrains engine.
The Milton-Keynes based outfit sensationally sacked boss Christian Horner after 20 years in charge last week.
Laurent Mekies has been appointed as the new CEO, stepping up from the Racing Bulls team.
Drivers are currently enjoying a mini summer break, with the next race due to commence in Belgium on July 27.
Verstappen currently sits 69 points behind Drivers Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who only sits eight points above team-mate Lando Norris.
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