Jos Verstappen opens up on Max's career: 'We always talk about Ferrari and Mercedes'
Just before the summer break, rumors about Max Verstappen’s future were rife. Over the past few months, the four-time world champion was frequently linked to Mercedes. Jos Verstappen confirmed that there had indeed been internal discussions about a potential move to another F1 team.
Both Verstappen's were seen in an interview with Viaplay. The many stories in which the Red Bull Racing driver was linked to the Brackley team were brought up in that occasion.
When asked about how much the family itself spoke about Mercedes in the past few months, Jos answered: “A lot too. But that's always the case. It's not just this year we've been talking a lot about it, but this year was a bit more than the years before.”
Subsequently, the two drivers were asked if they laughed about the stories that came up about a transfer of the four-time world champion. “That too. It's a lot of nonsense,” said Jos about that.
Jos then pointed out that other teams are indeed regularly discussed, not just Mercedes. “We always talk about Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull. But that’s only natural,” the Dutchman said.
‘Max makes the decisions’
The Verstappen's have been working for years with manager Raymond Vermeulen, hence the question of who ultimately makes the decisions. Max responded: “Ultimately, I have to choose what I want.”
Jos then explained: “We always discuss it with Raymond, Max and me, but he makes the final decisions.” So the choice to stay with Red Bull in 2026 was made by Max Verstappen himself.
Ultimately, Max took the floor and explained a bit more about this kind of decisions. “It is of course a close-knit group. We of course also do a lot of things outside of Formula 1, but important decisions are always thoroughly discussed.”
