Jos Verstappen has emerged from a seven-month social media slumber to squash rumours around his son’s future. Max Verstappen is a reigning four-time world champion and contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, but a break clause would reportedly allow him to jump ship before then if team performances drop.

The 27-year-old could have his pick of any car on the grid if word got around that he was looking for a way out of Red Bull. Mercedes were heavily linked with him after Lewis Hamilton agreed to join Ferrari, while Aston Martin have also been touted as a possible landing spot, having captured veteran design guru Adrian Newey ahead of a new set of regulations in 2026.

Verstappen has been hugely successful at Red Bull, but simmering tensions between his dad and team principal Christian Horner rose to the surface last season. And some believe that cracks could reappear if Red Bull start lagging behind their rivals.

That being said, former F1 racer Jos has made it clear that a move to Mercedes in 2026 is categorically not on the cards. On Saturday, he wrote his first X post since last August to respond to Dutch motorsport pundit Jack Plooij, who predicted that Verstappen will be with the Silver Arrows by the start of next year.

Clearly unimpressed, Verstappen Sr. said: “Jack, Jack, Jack. What nonsense are you talking?”

Mercedes are heading into a period of uncertainty regarding their driver line-up. Lead man George Russell is believed to be approaching the final season of his contract, while teenager Kimi Antonelli is an unknown quantity.

In the latest series of Netflix show Drive to Survive, Wolff admitted that he had promised Hamilton he would not approach Verstappen about replacing him while he was still at Mercedes.

“I think Max is [an option],” he told wife Susie before the team promoted Antonelli. “I haven’t spoken to him because I promised Lewis I wouldn’t talk to him, but I will have the conversation now.”

Drivers are only one week away from the 2025 season getting underway in Australia. And Verstappen has some catching up to do if the results of last month’s pre-season test in Bahrain are anything to go by.

The Dutchman’s fastest lap time was only the fifth fastest overall, more than two tenths behind surprise leader Carlos Sainz. Red Bull new boy Liam Lawson was even further back, seven tenths behind Verstappen and nearly a second off Sainz.