Max Verstappen has declared he wants to complete the "amazing" achievement of spending his entire Formula 1 career with Red Bull, despite firm interest from Mercedes and his team's current performance struggles.
The four-time world champion addressed mounting speculation about his future at Silverstone on Thursday, after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed he was in "conversations" about signing the Dutchman.
"I always said to the team it would be ideal, and I think they think the same way, to finish off my career in Formula 1 with one team," Verstappen said.
"I think that would be something amazing, and that's what we are still trying to achieve."
Mercedes have intensified their talks to sign Max Verstappen over recent weeks
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When asked if he could imagine racing for another team, the 27-year-old responded: "I'm going to say no, because if I say yes, people will make up headlines again, and that's not what I want."
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believes negotiations between Verstappen and Mercedes are actively taking place, despite the champion's public commitment to Red Bull.
"I'm a believer of when there's smoke, there's fire. If everyone was committed to their seats, that's what they would be saying," Brown told Sky Sports F1 ahead of the British Grand Prix.
McLaren boss Zak Brown made his feelings clear on the Max Verstappen rumoursGetty"The fact that everyone's talking and no one is confirming anything tells me there are conversations going on. I said a while ago I wouldn't be surprised to see Max in a Mercedes."
Verstappen adopted a philosophical stance when questioned about whether he should pursue the fastest car on the grid, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of Formula 1.
He explained: "That is anyway difficult in Formula 1 to always try to be in the fastest car, because then you have to look into the future. Who would have known that two years ago this would be the case now?"
"Even if you try to chase the fastest car now, it might not be the fastest car next year."
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Verstappen acknowledged his team's current difficulties, stating "we are not where we want to be, I think that's quite clear," but maintained focus on improving their situation rather than speculating about alternatives.
The speculation surrounding Verstappen's future comes as he trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 61 points heading into the British Grand Prix, with McLaren dominating the first half of the season.
Red Bull's struggles extend beyond their lead driver, sitting 47 points behind third-placed Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship, largely due to Yuki Tsunoda managing just three top-10 finishes this season.
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Max Verstappen's four-year winning streak appears to be coming to an end with McLaren's dominance
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Mercedes driver George Russell revealed last week that his own contract extension was being delayed by the team's pursuit of Verstappen, who is contracted to Red Bull until 2028 but reportedly has exit clauses.
Title rival Lando Norris remained indifferent to the speculation.
"No, I don't really care, to be honest," he told Sky Sports F1, though he acknowledged appreciating Verstappen as a competitor.
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