Verstappen addresses speculation over F1 future after being linked with move away from Red Bull

Max Verstappen has made clear that Red Bull is “where I want to be” going forward amid media speculation linking the three-time world champion with a move away from the team.

Verstappen holds a contract with the Milton Keynes squad through 2028 but there have been rumours that he could look to race elsewhere from 2025.

READ MORE: Perez admits it would be ‘a blow for the team’ if Verstappen leaves Red Bull amid driver market rumours

Meanwhile, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff recently went as far as saying he “would love” to sign the Dutchman, adding that “there is no team up and down the grid who wouldn’t do handstands to have him in the car” if he were available.

And as Verstappen settled into his media duties ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, the 26-year-old tackled the topic head-on when asked about earlier comments from team mate Sergio Perez that it would be “a blow for the team” if he leaves Red Bull.

“I think there’s every reason to be happy, right?” Verstappen responded. “The car’s going really well, there’s so many great people in the team that are constantly pushing for better results, so for me that’s what I focus on.

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“I focus on the performance, I’m happy, and when I go home, I don’t think about any other thing because it’s pretty fixed where I’m at also, and that’s also where I want to be.”

In terms of how things are going on the track, Verstappen argued that after two dominant wins to kick off the new season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, he has never started a year in better form.

“I think it’s definitely been the best start so far to a year for me personally in the car,” he commented. “[It’s] just a good balance, but I think also as a team we operated really well without too many mistakes.

“So, of course, [I’m] very happy with that, and I hope that we can continue that way. We try to keep on learning what we can do better, but it’s been very positive.”

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Verstappen heads into this weekend’s event at Albert Park with a 15-point advantage over Perez in the drivers’ standings, while Red Bull sit 38 clear of nearest rivals Ferrari in the constructors’ battle.