Marko sees Verstappen doubt? 'He could have said he's staying with Red Bull'

Ther have been rumours and speculation that have put Verstappen on boats in Sardinia speaking to Mercedes team boss and CEO Toto Wolff, which have been debunked by GPblog.

Furthermore, with Mekies' introduction as team principal and CEO at Red Bull Racing the atmosphere at the Austrian team has changed tremendously to that in the last period under ousted Christian Horner's leadership, which plays a big role in Verstappen's decision about aligning his future with Red Bull at least until 2026.

Speaking in an interview with German branch of Sky, Red Bull's chief advisor Marko says: "There is absolutely no reason to doubt (that Verstappen will stay put, ed.)"

The Austrian also dismisses the media's speculation on the performance clauses that may determine the current F1 champion's future: "We have a contract that is fully valid. And none of the variants of exit clauses that I read or hear have anything to do with reality."

Although Verstappen himself has had the opportunity to clear the air on his F1 future, Marko seems to suggest the Dutchman is toying with the media.

"He could have said, 'I'm staying' – yes. But what would you journalists have asked then? That would have been boring," Marko added with acheeky grin.

"As long as nothing's happening on the track, you need something to write," Marko concluded.