After days of speculation he might leave Red Bull for Mercedes , Max Verstappen got a closer look at a Mercedes car than he wanted.
The defending Formula 1 champion's Austrian Grand Prix lasted less than half a lap as he was knocked out of the race by Mercedes driver and potential future teammate Kimi Antonelli.
"I think we try to do our best always. My mentality doesn't change. We have won a lot in the past. Sometimes you have to accept that you are not winning, and we just try to do the best we can," Verstappen told British broadcaster Sky Sports.
Asked about what the incident meant for his title defense, he said: "Hopefully then maybe people will not mention it too much any more."
It followed an eventful week for the four-time champion, who blamed a lack of grip for being off the pace in qualifying and seventh on the grid. Antonelli's teammate George Russell had suggested Thursday Verstappen may be holding talks with Mercedes on a possible future move.