Max Verstappen Breaks Silence on Sabbatical Chances Amid Mercedes Rumors

Max Verstappen‘s woes at Red Bull have continued despite giving it his all in terms of performance. Milton Keynes dominated a majority of the ground-effect era but now cannot even contend for race wins. Due to this, many people cast doubt on the Austrian outfit’s chances of performing well under the new regulations in 2026. Amidst the consistent struggles, people speculated that Verstappen could take a sabbatical before assessing the team’s condition and then returning. Now, the Dutchman has clearly spoken on this possibility and denied any such ideas.

Max Verstappen has remained the center of attention at the British GP weekend, due to several reasons. Primarily, the Dutchman is rumored to be in advanced talks to join Mercedes by the coming season, with some outlets claiming this situation to be a done deal. While Verstappen refused to comment on any speculations, he didn’t formally decline this possibility as he kept the matter open for the people.

The 2026 season regulations have already been declared, with Mercedes reportedly having an upper hand with the power unit development. Reports suggest that the German carmaker might ace the upcoming regulation era as Max Verstappen could finally consider jumping ship to Brackley. Many people questioned if the reigning world champion would take a break for a couple of years of Formula 1 and then join the team that dominated the new regulations.

Max Verstappen wasn’t mincing his words while firmly denying any such claims. The 27-year-old raised surety over this idea not even lingering in his mind as he is fully focused on performances and racing at the pinnacle of motorsport. The Dutchman did accept that he would race not only in F1, but also try to combine it with other forms of racing. The four-time champion is already testing with GT3 cars as he prepares for his future in the sport.

No, no, for sure not. [I’ll race] in F1 for sure and I’ll try in the future, combine it with any kind of other racing that is possible, that I can prepare for.

Max Verstappen said, as reported by RacingNews365

Max Verstappen confirms interest in racing ‘outside of F1’

Max Verstappen is a man of multiple interests, especially when it comes to motorsports in general. The Dutchman is not only an avid sim racer alongside his own team, Team Redline, but he has also shown keen interest in other forms. The 27-year-old recently tested out the Ferrari 296 GT3 at Nuerburgring Nordschleife and reportedly broke the previous lap time record on the track. As such, the reigning champion officially declares his interest in not only testing but also racing in multiple other formats in the years to come.