Max Verstappen, on Wednesday, delivered a blow to Mercedes by insisting he will not be joining them next season.

The triple world champion instead committed himself to Red Bull for 2025, though moving to the Silver Arrows a year later remains a possibility to coincide with a major revamp of the regulations.

The 26-year-old’s future has been a highly charged subject since his boss Christian Horner was engulfed by scandal earlier in the year. The English executive hung on to his job after being cleared by an internal investigation into claims he coerced a female employee.

However, the fallout pitted Horner against Max’s father, Jos, the former Formula One driver who nurtured his son’s talent. Verstappen Snr said the team would ‘explode’ if Horner stayed, and he has since talked to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff about Max moving there, despite Max’s Red Bull contract running until 2028.

He has get-out clauses in his contract, not least one that states he can leave if Red Bull’s motorsport adviser, Dr Helmet Marko, walks away.

Max Verstappen delivered a blow to Mercedes by insisting he will not join them next season

The 26-year-old’s future has been a highly charged subject since his boss Christian Horner (left) was engulfed by scandal earlier in the year