F1 champion Max Verstappen says he's staying with Red Bull team for 2026
'For me, it's always been quite clear, and also for next year,' the four-time champion said Thursday ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
'I'm discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I'm also staying with the team for next year.'
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through 2028. At recent races he had deflected direct questions about whether he'd stay with the team next year, and there had been indications that a performance-related clause could allow him to exit the contract earlier. The exact details of any clause are not public.
Mercedes driver George Russell had said he believed his team was holding talks with Verstappen.
Verstappen's comments come less than a month after Christian Horner was removed from his role as Red Bull team principal after 20 years and replaced by Laurent Mekies.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Frankfurt signs Japan winger Ritsu Doan for its Champions League return
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Eintracht Frankfurt has signed Japanese winger Ritsu Doan to strengthen a squad depleted by the sale of Hugo Ekitiké as it prepares to return to the Champions League. Doan joins on a five-year contract from fellow German club Freiburg, where he was top scorer with 10 goals as the team placed fifth in the Bundesliga. 'I'm very happy and honored to be here,' Doan said in a translated video message to Frankfurt fans. 'I can't wait to play in front of the supporters.' Frankfurt is heading back to the Champions League this season after a third-place Bundesliga finish but will have a new-look attack after striker Ekitiké was sold to Liverpool for a fee of 69 million pounds ($93.5 million). The 27-year-old Doan will be expected to team up with another new signing for Ekitiké's center-forward role, ex-Mainz striker Jonathan Burkardt. Doan won the Dutch Cup with PSV Eindhoven in 2022 and has played 57 games for the Japanese national team. That includes all of its games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and a role in securing qualification for next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Doan could make his Frankfurt debut Aug. 17 in a German Cup game against fifth-tier Engers. Frankfurt's first Bundesliga game of the season is six days later at home to Werder Bremen. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Toyota reports a 37% drop in profit, cuts its forecast due to Trump's tariffs
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota's profit plunged 37% in the April-June quarter, the company said Thursday, cutting its full year earnings forecasts largely because of President Donald Trump's tariffs. The Japanese automaker said it based its report on the assumption that Trump's tariffs on exports from Japan, including autos, would be 12.5% starting this month. As of now they stand at 15%. The world's top automaker also makes vehicles in Mexico and Canada. Toyota's profit in the last quarter totaled 841 billion yen, or $5.7 billion, down from 1.33 trillion yen in the same period the year before. Its quarterly sales rose 3%. The status of those exports is unclear since Mexico and Canada are beneficiaries of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement, renegotiated from a 1990s pact during Trump's first term in office, that eliminated most tariffs and trade barriers between the three countries. Toyota Motor Corp.'s April-June profit totaled 841 billion yen ($5.7 billion), down from 1.33 trillion yen in the same period of 2024. Quarterly sales rose 3% to 12 trillion yen ($82 billion). Toyota said the tariffs cost its quarterly operating profit 450 billion yen ($3 billion). Cost reduction efforts and the negative impact of an unfavorable exchange rate also hurt its bottom line. The company, which makes the Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models, forecast a 2.66 trillion yen ($18 billion) profit for the full fiscal year ending in March 2026, down from an earlier forecast for a 3.1 trillion yen ($21 billion) profit. Toyota earned nearly 4.8 trillion yen in the previous fiscal year. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'Despite a challenging external environment, we have continued to make comprehensive investments, as well as improvements such as increased unit sales, cost reductions and expanded value chain profits,' Toyota said in a statement that outlined its efforts to minimize the impact of the tariffs. At the retail level, Toyota sold 2.4 million vehicles globally, with sales growing in Japan, North America and Europe from the previous year, when global retail totaled 2.2 million vehicles. Analysts say Toyota is likely among the worst hit by the tariffs among global companies, even compared with other Japanese automakers. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Threads:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The dog ate my passport: Family pooch dogs rookie's All Blacks call-up
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Rookie Leroy Carter was still coming to terms with his inclusion in the All Blacks squad to play in Argentina in the opening rounds of the Rugby Championship when he made the shocking discovery. 'The dog ate my passport.' The utility back with the Hamilton-based Chiefs was one of four uncapped players included in Scott Robertson's Championship squad. The phone call from Robertson informing him of his selection had come as a massive surprise. Carter was rushing to get things together for the squad's assembly and departure when he realized the family dog had intercepted his passport. 'I got my passport out to take a photo to send to the (team) manager and I just left it on my bedside table,' Carter said. 'My partner went to the gym and left my dog home alone and it's gone down the hallway, jumped on the bed and just chewed up the passport and my teeth aligners. 'It was a bit of a shambles yesterday. I was trying to get an emergency one but I think it's all (sorted) now. I thought it would happen to me, something like that, so no point getting stressed about it.' The All Blacks squad leaves Friday to play Argentina in Cordoba on Aug. 17 and Buenos Aires a week later in the first two rounds of the Rugby Championship which also includes Australia and South Africa. ___ AP rugby:
