Marko verifies that Verstappen and Russell are nearing a significant deal with Mercedes.

      "Verstappen and his father are not involved in this decision."

      Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull for the 2026 season, putting an end to months of speculation regarding a potential move to Mercedes. "Yes, I can confirm that Max Verstappen will drive for Red Bull in 2026," Dr. Helmut Marko stated to Sport.de and RTL/ntv on Monday, corroborating the widespread reports in the paddock and a De Telegraaf article indicating that Verstappen's exit clause is no longer applicable since he is assured of a top-three championship position by the summer break.

      This development secures George Russell's position at Mercedes, as The Sun reports that the British driver is "on the verge" of finalizing a new deal worth 30 million pounds per year. The final details are still being finalized, with an announcement expected after the August break.

      As team principal Toto Wolff's interest in Verstappen grew stronger, Mercedes had been increasingly associated with the driver. However, Verstappen's commitment, along with Christian Horner's departure from Red Bull, seems to have quashed that possibility.

      Sky Deutschland analyst Ralf Schumacher believes the internal power struggle at Red Bull ultimately led to Horner's downfall. "He gained power, aimed to control it, and made decisions. In the end, he failed due to the Icarus syndrome; he flew too close to the sun and wanted too much," Schumacher remarked.

      Marko, however, refuted any suggestion that Verstappen's ultimatum played a role in Horner’s dismissal. "The decision to remove Horner was made by management, or more accurately, by CEO Oliver Mintzlaff," he stated to ORF. "Several factors contributed, but primarily, the team’s performance did not meet our expectations."

      "Max Verstappen and his father had no involvement in this decision. There is no Verstappen faction within the team," he continued. "Previously, Horner had control over everything, which left us lacking in some areas."

      Marko mentioned that new team boss Laurent Mekies will focus solely on on-track performance, while other sections of Red Bull will be divided among dedicated managers to enhance efficiency across the 2,000-strong operation in Milton Keynes.

      Red Bull recently introduced a car update at Spa and has another one scheduled for this weekend in Budapest, though Verstappen conceded they are still facing challenges in keeping up with McLaren.

      "He’s right," Marko acknowledged to Motorsport-Magazin.com. "We won’t give up, even though finding a solution is proving quite challenging."

      Meanwhile, former world champion Nico Rosberg cautioned Russell regarding the final stages of contract negotiations with Wolff. "Toto is difficult to negotiate with because his tactic is to vanish," Rosberg told Sky. "George might attempt to text Toto to prompt progress, but Toto will go silent. He’ll see the preview of the message but won’t open it."

      "That was his approach - to disappear and not respond, which is frustrating."