There’s nothing new about the Verstappen to Mercedes rumour, which began last year as Toto Wolff publicly courted the Red Bull driver as a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. Wolff went on to sign Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli as Russell’s F1 2025 team-mate, but both drivers are out of contract at the end of this season.

George Russell says there’s an “exceptionally low” chance he’ll leave Mercedes next year even after he claimed the team was holding talks with Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen.

That said, there is no guarantee that Verstappen will stay, even after Horner, who was a thorn in the side of his entourage, was dismissed. According to De Telegraaf, the 51-year-old’s exit has not boosted Red Bull ’s chances of retaining their star driver.