No such move materialised, but Russell sparked the rumour mill back into life ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, telling Sky F1 that “ongoing” conversations are happening between Verstappen and Mercedes, with neither Russell nor team-mate Kimi Antonelli contracted to Mercedes beyond the end of the current season.

Max Verstappen is reportedly in talks to join Mercedes from 2026. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.

Max Verstappen signing for Mercedes would have knock-on consequences for the rest of the F1 driver market. Max Verstappen continues to be heavily linked with Mercedes as he weighs up his long-term future options.