ZANDVOORT, Netherlands -- Max Verstappen insists the reality of where he would be driving in 2026 was always a far more straightforward topic than it was made out to be in public.
Four-time world champion Verstappen confirmed ahead of the Formula 1 summer break he would stay with Red Bull after months of speculation about a move to Mercedes, with Toto Wolff publicly stating his interest.
Much of the news reports suggesting Verstappen was set to leave hinged around an exit clause in his contract which he ended up not triggering, due to his championship position going into the break.
The four-time world champion, under contract until 2028, said he never felt much doubt about where he would end up.
"For me it was very, very simple anyway," Verstappen told ESPN about the topic of his 2026 race seat.
"I only say what I want to say. And I was never even stressed about it at all because ... of course naturally you always want to win. But at the same time, you just work on performance.
"People always come up with stories or ask questions. But for me, it was quite straightforward all the time."
He added: "I think in general, I'm a person that is always quite relaxed about it. "Like I don't stress out or go to bed massively overthinking stuff.
"I just live my life, you know, see what happens next. For me, there's nothing wrong with talking or listening [to offers] or whatever, but it was all under control."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had made it clear he was seriously exploring the possibility of signing Verstappen -- George Russell's own contract extension discussions were put on ice while that was still on the table.
Social media was abuzz during the summer break when pictures surfaced of Wolff and Verstappen on the same yacht together.
The pair had also vacationed in a similar part of Sardinia when the rumours about Verstappen leaving Red Bull were at their loudest.
"There's no secret," Verstappen said about spending time with Wolff. "I mean, I even went for lunch with Toto and the family and I think that's absolutely allowed. It's not even that you speak about Formula 1 business, it's just life. We we parked up next to each other because we were in the same bay to sleep and during the day everyone does their thing.
"But sometimes you meet up and you have a good relationship with people. I think that's nice, that it's not only about competition."
Mercedes is expected to continue with current lineup George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli into 2026.