Max Verstappen has conceded he had real talks with Mercedes about a move – but argues the discussions were little more than exploratory.
In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC, Verstappen has spoken of his decision to commit to Red Bull for 2026 just weeks after Christian Horner‘s acrimonious departure.
The Dutchman said: “I’m not going to lie. For sure, there were talks. But at the same time, it was all very friendly and open. Nothing more than that.”
Asked what would make him consider leaving Red Bull, Verstappen added: “For me, it’s not only about F1. There’s a lot of things that have to come together for me to make a change.
“Future roles, stuff like that. So if I ever would make a change, of course, it’s a big one for me because this definitely feels like a second family, and that’s not easy to replicate, let’s say, like that.
“The change, if I would ever make one, it’s not only because I need a faster F1 car or I need a difference in the environment.
“There’s a lot of things that are around my F1 career and things that I’m doing outside of F1 that all have to come together.”