BUDAPEST, Hungary (AFP) — Max Verstappen ended weeks of speculation about his future on Thursday when the reigning Formula One world champion said he would be staying with Red Bull in 2026.

Verstappen said it was time to “stop all the rumours”.

“I’ve never really said anything about it because I was just focused on talking to the team about how we can improve our performance,” the Dutchman explained at the Hungaroring circuit ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

“And that’s why I had nothing really to add, but I think it’s time to basically stop all the rumours.

“For me, it’s always been quite clear that I was staying anyway.”

Four-time world champion Verstappen’s future became a subject of speculation after rival driver George Russell revealed his Mercedes team were talking to the Dutchman’s management about his future plans.

It emerged that there was a performance clause in Verstappen’s contract that offered him a chance to leave Red Bull if he was not in the top three at the end of July.

But that clause has now elapsed and he will stay with Red Bull next year, the first season following a sweeping change of technical regulations.

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028 and a similar scrutiny of his contract is expected next year once it becomes clear which teams have adapted and progressed best under the new regulations.

Verstappen has fallen 81 points behind series leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren into third place in the drivers’ championship this year.

Red Bull are in a state of flux, after sacking their team principal Christian Horner this month and replacing the Briton with Laurent Mekies, the boss of their ‘B’ team Racing Bulls.

Horner’s departure will have pleased Verstappen’s father Jos, who turned against the man who had led Red Bull from their launch in 2024 following last year’s accusation by a woman colleague of “inappropriate behaviour”.

The Englishman was twice cleared over the claims by the Formula One team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH.

At the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend Max Verstappen insisted Horner’s shock departure had no impact on his future plans.

He said the well-publicised discord between his father and Horner was never a problem.

“People can have a difference of opinion and I expect that to happen because if everyone agrees, there is a problem.”

On Thursday when asked about his future after next year he replied: “If you ask me that question next year, then yes, we’ll have that speculation, but I never speak about it because I am more interested in working on performance — and that’s why I never really talk about what is in my contract.”

Despite McLaren and their two drivers Piastri and Lando Norris dominating this season, he said he still retained hopes of gaining some success before the end of the year.

“I know that the cars will be different next year, but there are still things that you can take out of this year on the engineering side of things and also implement for next year.

“So, you cannot just say ‘Okay, we’re not winning the championship this year, so we just write it off completely’.

“No one really knows where they will be at next year.”