Jos Verstappen has firmly denied rumours that his son Max Verstappen will transfer to Mercedes or any other team in Formula 1.
The father of the four-time world champion confirmed that Max will continue driving for Red Bull Racing in 2026.
This comes amid widespread speculation on social media linking the Dutch driver with potential moves to teams including Mercedes and Aston Martin.
Jos dismissed these transfer rumours during a recent radio interview, insisting that Max's only current contract is with Red Bull.
Max Verstappen is not going anywhere, his father Jos has insisted
Reuters
"It mainly plays out on social media, people make an issue of it there," Jos responded firmly during the radio interview.
"At the moment there is nothing at all. There are no other contracts. The only contract out there is with Red Bull."
Jos made it clear they are focused on the current situation with Red Bull Racing.
"We just wait for that and see how it goes this year," he added, putting an end to the transfer speculation.
Earlier this week, Jos Verstappen directly challenged claims made by Jack Plooij that Max had already signed with Mercedes for 2026.
On social media platform X, Jos responded bluntly to Plooij's assertion.
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"Jack, Jack, Jack. What nonsense are you saying," wrote the elder Verstappen.
This public rebuke further reinforces Jos's position that there are no agreements in place for Max to leave Red Bull Racing.
The exchange has drawn significant attention as speculation about the champion's future continues despite these denials.
Jos Verstappen has revealed that Max was not completely satisfied with the Red Bull RB21 during testing in Bahrain.
Jos Verstappen slapped down rumours of his son leaving Red Bull
PA
"The first day of testing Max was super satisfied. Then they changed parts again and you name it. Then he found the feeling a bit less with the car," Jos explained.
Despite attempts to revert to the original setup, Max couldn't recapture his initial positive feeling with the car.
When asked directly about Max's opinion on his 2025 car, Jos was candid: "Well, let me put it this way, he was not satisfied."
Jos was also asked whether Max's upcoming fatherhood would impact his racing performance.
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"I don't think so," he responded confidently. "If I look at myself, it had absolutely no influence on me at the time."
Jos even joked about the situation, adding: "Maybe he's just happy to leave home with all that crying."
When questioned about whether the next Verstappen generation would follow into motorsport, Jos said it was "far too early" to consider.
