Verstappen frustrated by Mercedes speculation, says Red Bull boss Horner
Max Verstappen Annoyed by Mercedes Rumors Amid Austrian Grand Prix Weekend
SPIELBERG, Austria — Speculation linking Max Verstappen to Mercedes has proven to be a distraction during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who revealed the talk has left the four-time World Champion feeling "annoyed."
Whispers of Mercedes potentially targeting Verstappen intensified on Friday when Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff confirmed his interest in the Dutch driver. However, Wolff was quick to temper expectations, stating the likelihood of luring Verstappen away from Red Bull was "very low" in the near term, particularly given Verstappen's current contract, which ties him to Red Bull until 2028.
The rumor mill spun further after Mercedes driver George Russell claimed that his own contract renewal talks were being delayed by the team’s interest in Verstappen. Despite the buzz around the paddock, Horner dismissed the speculation as nothing more than background noise.
"It's a lot of noise," Horner said in an interview with Sky Sports. "I think Max gets quite annoyed by it. We're very clear with the contract that we have with Max until 2028. Anything is entirely speculative that is being said. We tend not to pay too much attention to it."
Horner also weighed in on Russell’s frustration.
"I can imagine that George is frustrated he hasn't been given a contract yet. But that's between him and his team. The situation with Max, we know clearly where we're at and as does Max. Everything is subject to noise, and with any contract, it remains confidential between the parties."
Verstappen’s Challenging Qualifying Session
The noise surrounding Verstappen's future came on a challenging day for the Red Bull driver, who qualified only seventh for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen's push for a strong result in qualifying was derailed by yellow flags in the final sector, following a spin by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Even without the interruption, Verstappen admitted he wasn’t in contention for pole position.
"It would have been close, potentially, up until the yellow flag — but it's still miles off pole," Verstappen said. "In the end, it's not really that painful."
The current third-place driver in the standings, who sits 43 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, struggled to extract pace from his car throughout the session. After looking more competitive in Saturday’s FP3, qualifying revealed deeper balance issues with his Red Bull.
"FP3 wasn't too bad, but somehow in quali it just completely disappeared," Verstappen explained. "There was not a single corner I felt happy in the car and then that is, of course, a big problem in qualifying."
Hopeful Outlook for Race Day
Verstappen remained cautiously optimistic about Sunday, despite lingering concerns.
"Depends how you look at it ... I don't really look at the standings, I just try to do the best I can in the race weekend," he said. "Hopefully tomorrow we can at least be competitive with Ferrari or Mercedes, but I don't know because with the balance I had in quali that is not going to look great tomorrow. We'll analyze everything."
As the Austrian Grand Prix looms, Verstappen and Red Bull must look to turn the page quickly. With their title hopes already facing significant challenges, the team will aim to focus less on the "noise" about the future and more on finding pace when it matters most.
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