Earlier, the prime minister met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Downing Street for crisis talks on the future of Ukraine. After the Downing Street meeting, a spokesperson said Sir Keir "convened a call with other European allies alongside President Zelenskyy". "The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war." Ukraine latest: 'Critical stage' in push for peace During the earlier meeting, the Downing Street spokesperson said that the leaders "discussed the importance of the US-led peace talks for European security and supported the progress made". All four "underscored the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which includes robust security guarantees," the spokesperson added. "The leaders agreed that, while diplomatic efforts continue, Europe must stand with Ukraine, strengthening its ability to defend against relentless attacks that have left thousands without heat or light," they said. "They also discussed positive progress made to use immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine's reconstruction." After arriving in the UK, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram that "we are joining our efforts to end this war with a decent peace for Ukraine" and that "security must be guaranteed". He later said: "We can't manage without Americans, we can't manage without Europe and that is why we need to make some important decisions." The discussions come as US President Donald Trump accused Mr Zelenskyy of having failed to read the latest peace plan. He said he was "a little disappointed" in the Ukrainian leader, while insisting Russia's Vladimir Putin was "fine with it". Mr Trump's eldest son had earlier told Sky's lead world news presenter Yalda Hakim in an interview that his father may walk away from the Ukraine peace process. When asked directly if he believed the US president would walk away from Ukraine, he answered: "I think he may, what's good about my father and what's unique about my father is you don't know what he's going to do. He's unpredictable." Sir Keir had earlier insisted any ceasefire must be "just" and "lasting", adding: "We are at a critical stage in the push for peace. "The principles remain the same. We stand with Ukraine, and if there is to be a ceasefire, it needs to be a just and lasting ceasefire." Mr Macron had insisted Ukraine's allies have "a lot of cards" - but the main issue was to "finalise these peace negotiations" and find the "best possible conditions for Ukraine, for the Europeans, and for collective security". Moments after arriving at Downing Street, Mr Merz said he was "sceptical about some of the details in documents coming from the US" but that was one of the reasons for Monday's talks. The four European leaders emerged from Downing Street at around 2.20pm for a group photo - but declined to answer any questions from the media. Sir Keir and Mr Zelenskyy then went back inside the prime minister's residence for further talks while Mr Macron and Mr Merz departed. Read more from Sky News:Paramount launches hostile takeover bid for Warner BrosHost of British stars nominated for Golden Globes The London meeting comes after Mr Zelenskyy's officials concluded three days of talks with US diplomats. Over the weekend, Mr Zelenskyy said he had discussed "next steps" with Mr Trump's advisers and was "determined to keep working in good faith".

The 41-year-old also pleaded guilty to driving dangerously in areas of London before the fatal collision, which happened in Ilford, north-east London, shortly after 11.30pm on 18 October. Yubin Tamang, 20, a student from Nepal, died two days after being hit by the rapper's BMW M5 in Redbridge Lane. Police said Ghetts was driving in excess of 60mph in a 30mph zone, and hit Mr Tamang as he was crossing the road. He then failed to stop at the scene. On Monday, the grime artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, appeared for a hearing at the Old Bailey via videolink from Pentonville prison, wearing a green polo shirt. He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and to driving dangerously in Tavistock Place, in the Bloomsbury area of central London, and on other roads in Camden, Islington and Hackney before the crash. Mr Tamang's family, who had travelled to the UK, watched in court as the pleas were made. He was an only child who had been sent to complete his studies, the court heard. Clarke-Samuel, a two-time Mercury Prize nominee and MOBO winner, has been in custody since a preliminary appearance at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on 27 October. He will be sentenced in February. Judge Mark Lucraft KC told him the sentence would be custodial, but the length of his jail term is yet to be determined. He was disqualified from driving with immediate effect - with the length of the ban also still to be set. Speaking after the hearing on Monday, Detective Inspector Mark Braithwaite, of the Met's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said that while nothing could undo the loss felt by Mr Tamang's family, the guilty pleas marked "a step towards justice". He added: "Split-second decisions behind the wheel can have devastating, life-changing consequences." The Met Police said Clarke-Samuel's BMW was found by officers in the early hours of the day following the collision, parked near his home in Woodford. The car "displayed significant damage, including a smashed windscreen, extensive marks on the bonnet, damage to the front bumper and a missing wing mirror cover", the force said. On Thursday 4 December, Clarke-Samuel was further charged with causing death by careless driving while over the alcohol limit. He did not enter a plea to this charge, nor a second count of dangerous driving following the incident, the force said. The rapper was first nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2021, for his third album, Conflict Of Interest. His second nomination came for his fourth album, On Purpose, With Purpose, in 2024. He was named best male artist at the MOBOs in 2021, and received the pioneer award for his contribution to British black culture in 2024. Earlier this year, he was nominated for two Ivor Novello awards - for best album and best contemporary song. He also had a role in the Netflix drama Supacell.

Ms Badenoch and shadow home secretary Chris Philp, appearing alongside a survivor and two parents of survivors/victims, called on the government to adopt draft terms of reference for the inquiry drawn up by the Conservatives with help from some grooming gangs victims and survivors. The Tory leader said her party is willing to work alongside the government, and an inquiry needs to be undertaken on a cross-party basis as it is ultimately about the survivors, victims and their families. Politics latest: Starmer becoming 'second Thatcher', Scottish first minister says The Conservatives' terms of reference include ensuring the inquiry examines the ethnicity and religious background of offenders, a two-year time limit and a focus on extra-familial abuse. They also want it to forward evidence to police and prosecutors where criminality is indicated. In June, the government announced it would be launching a national inquiry into grooming gangs, representing a U-turn after previously accusing Reform and the Conservatives of jumping on a far-right bandwagon when they called for one earlier in the year after Labour announced five local inquiries. But a national inquiry has been delayed by rows about its scope, while both shortlisted chair candidates withdrew their candidacy following criticism by survivors of their careers as a police chief and a social worker. A group of women also quit the inquiry's victim liaison panel - one who was present with the Tories on Monday - as they accused the government of attempting to widen the inquiry's remit to consider other forms of child sexual abuse. Ms Badenoch said: "I want to be clear that a national inquiry must leave no stone unturned. "It must investigate councils, the police and even the government if necessary. "It must be time-limited, and it must consider the role of ethnicity, religion and other cultural factors. "Baroness (Louise) Casey's own report admitted that many of these cases are committed by people of Asian and Pakistani ethnicities. "Her own report said that those who downplay the ethnicity of perpetrators are continuing to let down society, local communities and the victims. We agree. "As I said, I have spoken to many survivors. We are speaking on their behalf. "Their lives and their families' lives have been turned upside down, so separate to this inquiry, the government must act now to ensure that they and their families are supported so they can heal." Baroness Casey, known as a Whitehall troubleshooter, having worked on social issues for successive prime ministers since Tony Blair, is assisting with setting up the inquiry, but acknowledged it could now be "months" before a chair was appointed. Fiona Goddard, one of the survivors who left the inquiries' liaison panel, backed the Conservatives' proposals as she said she had "lost faith in the ability of the government to make more meaningful progress". Read more:Grooming gang survivors on the role drugs played in their abuseWhy are abuse survivors losing faith in the grooming gang inquiry? Mr Philp said a two-year time limit on the inquiry is essential as he said: "It can't drag on for years and years." He said the Tories were being "constructive" and that dual nationals found to have been involved in grooming should have their British citizenship removed and be deported "with no exceptions". A Labour Party spokesman said: "The Conservatives' record on this issue is clear: they had years to take action on this appalling scandal, yet time and time again they failed to do so. "This Labour government accepted all the recommendations from Baroness Casey's report and we are committed to a full, statutory, national inquiry to uncover the truth. "It will be robust, rigorous and laser-focused on grooming gangs, and its scope will not change. "The inquiry will direct and oversee local investigations, with the power to compel witnesses and summon evidence. And it will explicitly examine the background, ethnicity and culture of offenders."

Slot says the only communication he has had with Salah since Saturday's bombshell interview was to tell the player he would not be travelling to Italy for Tuesday's Champions League game with Inter. Asked how that conversation was, he said: "A short one." Slot has benched Salah for Liverpool's past three games but says he didn't believe his relationship with the Egyptian had broken down and hadn't seen indications of that until Salah's interview. "It was a surprise to me when I heard he gave the comments he gave," said Slot, in a press conference on Monday. Slot was asked whether Salah could come back into contention for Saturday's Premier League game with Brighton at Anfield and the Dutchman says that is a decision which would be taken after the game with Inter on Tuesday night. "I'm a firm believer there's always a possibility to return for a player," said Slot. However, when he was pressed on whether Salah had played his final game for Liverpool, Slot said: "I have no clue, I cannot answer that question in this moment in time." Mo Salah removed from Liverpool selectionLiverpool latest: Arne Slot responds to Salah interviewSalah outburst cannot mask poor form - but Slot also to blame Slot also pointed out he was uncertain what or who Salah was referring to with some of his comments. But added: "I'm calm, polite - but that doesn't mean I'm weak. It's up to us as a club to react and you can see he isn't here." In full: Everything Slot said about Salah and his Liverpool future Was Salah referring to Slot with his 'thrown under the bus' comment? Slot: "The only one who can answer that is Mo himself. I can guess but that is not the right thing to do at this moment. It is hard for me to tell." Has Slot spoken to Salah? Slot: "We let him know that he is not travelling. That was the only communication from us to him. "Before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot. Sometimes longer and sometimes shorter." Has their relationship broken down? Slot: "It is not the way I feel but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I have not felt that at all until Saturday evening. "When I don't play him anymore, usually players don't like the manager then that much but he was very respectful to my staff members and his team-mates. He trained really hard. To an extent, it was a surprise to me when I heard that he gave the comments he gave. "It is not the first and not the last time when a player doesn't play that he says something similar to what he did. My reaction to that is clear, that is that he is not here." Will he be considered for selection vs Brighton? Slot: "We are sitting here on an evening before a big game and there was only 36 hours between the moment we conceded 3-3 to Leeds and now. "I have tried to prepare my team in the best possible way for the game [on Tuesday] evening. The most thoughts I have had are about [Tuesday]. After [Tuesday], we will look at the situation again." Is there any way back for Salah? Slot: "I am a firm believer that there is always a possibility to return for a player. I can leave it with that." How was the conversation you had with him? Slot: "A short one." Why has Salah been on the bench? Slot: "We as a team struggled this season and already last season with the game plans other teams had against us. I am not only talking about the long-ball style. I have tried to come up with solutions, that is my job. We have tried many things. "We looked very vulnerable against [Nottingham] Forest and PSV. I decided to play with an extra midfielder in the game against West Ham, when we won the game, so I did it once more against Sunderland. At half-time, I brought him in. "Against Leeds we faced a 5-3-2, where I've decided to play a 4-4-2 diamond, with Hugo Ekitike a bit off the right side, Cody Gakpo off the left, with Florian Wirtz in between. I could have played Mo off the right instead of Hugo, but I decided to play Hugo." Has he played his last game for Liverpool? Slot: "I have no clue. I cannot answer that question in this moment of time." Has your authority been undermined? Do you feel let down? Slot: "I don't feel my authority is undermined. It is not the way I feel it. "It is not about me, if my life is difficult, yes or no. It is not very important in a situation like this. It is if it is more difficult for the team or club. "No one likes us to be in the situation we're in at the moment. It is difficult to see that staff members that work so hard on a daily basis are affected by the situation. Mainly because of the results but also what this has done. That's not a good thing for us as a team. That's mostly where my thoughts go to. "The focus I have is completely on the team and not me at all." When Mo said he felt he was thrown under the bus, do you understand why he would say such things? Slot: "Then I should know what he exactly means and that is difficult for me to know what he exactly means and why he says this and who he is referring to." You've not had that conversation? Slot: "No. Usually, I am calm and polite but that does not mean I am weak. If a player has these comments about so many things, it is about us as a club to react and we reacted in a way, you can see, he is not here." Could you have done anything differently to avoid this? Slot: "Then I would have to find out why he said what he said. I have to guess a little bit. Is it not only because he doesn't play? Is it about me not playing him? What could I do differently? Playing him. Maybe that is not the reason he thinks and feels this way. "He has every right to feel what he feels but he doesn't have the right to share it with the media. He has that right but then it is up to us to react on it." When did you last speak to Salah? Were you on speaking terms? Slot: "Yes we were but it doesn't mean we were always agreeing on things. I spoke to him twice in the week before, two days before Leeds." Have you spoken to him since Leeds? Slot: "No, I've already said that a few times before. He was on the training ground [on Monday] and I told him he would not travel. That is not speaking with someone; it is, but not having a conversation in your room. I had that twice in the lead up to Leeds one a bit longer, one a bit shorter. But I will not go into details. "I communicated to him he wasn't travelling." Carra's verdict: Outburst 'a disgrace' Jamie Carragher labelled Salah "a disgrace" for his bombshell interview - but hopes he has not played his final game for Liverpool. Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher said: "I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game. "Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst, I don't think it was. "Whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he's done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it's choreographed with him and his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position." On Salah's future, Carragher added: "Whether he will play for Liverpool again, I don't know. I hope he does, because he is one of the greatest players we've ever had. But if you continue like that and make statements like that if he doesn't play, who knows?" Ronaldo-esque power play pits Salah against Slot Analysis from Sky Sports' Zinny Boswell: "Mohamed Salah has given Liverpool a decision to make after revealing he no longer has a relationship with Arne Slot. It is difficult to see a path forward for both star player and head coach now. Whatever happens next, it will be seismic for Liverpool. "Salah chose to speak out, in a season when he has been largely silent, to deliver a message about his own future at a moment of weakness for Slot, who failed to take the seven points Jamie Carragher said he needed to save his job against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds. Got Sky? Watch Liverpool games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔 "Significantly, Slot was the only colleague Salah mentioned by name. Intentional or not, he has made it 'me vs him'. Although, Salah might argue Slot did that himself by forcing him to watch from the bench as Liverpool twice blew a lead at Elland Road. "One inarguable takeaway from Salah's bombshell interview is that he just wants to play football again, whether that can happen at Liverpool is unclear. Next Saturday's game against Brighton, his last before going to AFCON, could feasibly be his Anfield farewell. "After this, it's hard to see a world in which he plays this week."

Sandie Peggie took action against the health board after she was suspended from her job at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy following a row on Christmas Eve 2023 with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton - who was born male and now identifies as a female. Ms Peggie, who has worked for the NHS for 30 years, was placed on special leave after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment, and cited concerns about patient care. The nurse lodged a claim against NHS Fife and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010, including sexual harassment, harassment related to a protected belief, indirect discrimination, and victimisation. The employment tribunal hearings took place in Dundee before Judge Sandy Kemp earlier this year. In a written judgment on Monday, the harassment claim was upheld against NHS Fife, but allegations of discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimisation were dismissed. The claims against Dr Upton did not succeed and were dismissed. Ms Peggie stated: "I am beyond relieved and delighted that the tribunal has found that my employer Fife Health Board harassed me after I complained about having to share a female-only changing room with a male colleague. "The last two years have been agonising for me and my family. "I will have much more to say in the coming days once I've been able to properly consider the lengthy judgment and discuss it with my legal team. "For now, I am looking forward to spending a quiet few days with my family." Ms Peggie paid tribute to her "incredible" legal team, which included lead counsel Naomi Cunningham, junior counsel Dr Charlotte Elves, and solicitor Margaret Gribbon. She added: "There are many others I would like to thank and will do so in the coming days." Ms Gribbon also said: "The tribunal's findings that Fife Health Board harassed Sandie Peggie is a huge win for a tenacious and courageous woman standing up for her sex-based rights. "This has been an extraordinarily lengthy and complex legal case." The solicitor said the team would not be in a position to make substantive comments on the ruling until later this week. But added that "our preliminary thoughts are that aspects of the judgment are hugely problematic for women, leaving the onus on them to object when their privacy, dignity and safety are violated when men are given access to single-sex spaces". Read more:NHS Fife chief announces early retirement ahead of ruling The tribunal found that NHS Fife had harassed Ms Peggie by failing to revoke the grant of permission to Dr Upton on an interim basis after the nurse complained, for the period until different work rotas took effect so that they would not work together and said that, as a result, Dr Upton was in the changing room when the claimant was present on two occasions. It also found the board had harassed Ms Peggie by taking an unreasonable length of time to investigate the allegations against her; by making reference to patient care allegations against her on 28 March 2024; and giving an instruction to her not to discuss the case, until a further message a little over two weeks later which confirmed that applied only to the investigation. A separate hearing on remedy - which could see Ms Peggie receive financial compensation - will take place at a later date. NHS Fife said it had been a "complex and lengthy process". The health board added: "The employment tribunal unanimously dismissed all of the claimant's allegations against Dr Upton and all of the allegations against the board apart from four specific aspects of the harassment complaint. "We will now take time to work through the detail of the judgment alongside our legal team to understand fully what it means for the organisation. "We want to recognise how difficult this tribunal has been for everyone directly and indirectly involved. "Our focus now is to ensure that NHS Fife remains a supportive and inclusive environment for all employees and our patients and to deliver health and care to the population of Fife."

Paramount said on Monday that it was going straight to Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) shareholders with its cash offer for the entirety of the company, including its Global Networks segment, asking them to reject the deal with Netflix. On Friday Netflix struck a deal to buy WBD, the Hollywood giant behind "Harry Potter" and HBO Max The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 (£20.80) per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7bn (£62bn), including debt. But Paramount says its deal will pay $30 (£22.50) cash per share, representing $18bn (£13.5bn) more in cash than its rivals are offering. In a statement, Paramount said it was making a "strategically and financially compelling offer to WBD shareholders" and a "superior alternative to the Netflix transaction". David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company. "Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion. "We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process. "We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests and maximize the value of their shares." Under the Netflix deal, WBD will continue with previously-announced plans to split its studio and streaming operations from its global networks division, with the latter becoming a separate company, Discovery Global. The Netflix deal will not be finalised until the split is complete, and Discovery Global, including channels like CNN, will not form part of the merger. But Paramount said its deal would be for the entire company. Paramount said it had submitted six proposals to WBD in the course of 12 weeks, but that they were never "meaningfully" engaged with. It's not the first difficulty the proposed Netflix deal has run into, with Donald Trump raising the spectre of government intervention on Sunday. The US president said the combined market share of the resulting company "could be a problem" and that he would be involved in the decision about whether to approve the deal. Read more:Analysis: Netflix could yet get its way in Trump's AmericaAnalysis: Why Sussexes' new Netflix deal might not be a demotion The deal has to "go through a process and we'll see what happens," Trump said. But a Paramount-WBD deal is likely to face scrutiny too, given the resulting company's dominant position within the film studio business, and the potential for job losses as the industry consolidates. Nonetheless, experts have noted the ties between the Trump administration and the Paramount bid. Both Mr Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, the multibillionaire founder of the Oracle Corporation, have ties to the president. Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, told Sky News: "Donald Trump is very friendly with David Ellison, who is the son of Larry Ellison, who owns Oracle, and he and Donald Trump are good buddies. "And also Donald Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, is on board with this particular rival, hostile takeover bid. "So it is assumed that because of those relationships, Donald Trump would look an awful lot more favourably on this deal." Announcing the Netflix deal last week, David Zaslav, president and CEO of WBD, said it combined "two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most". He continued: "For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world's attention, and shaped our culture. "By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world's most resonant stories for generations to come."

However, the SNP leader was unable to clearly answer how his party would deliver independence if the UK government continues to refuse requests for a second referendum. Mr Swinney once again made the case for Scotland leaving the UK, and taking full control over its natural resources, at an SNP campaign event in Glasgow on Monday. Inspired by his party's old "it's Scotland's oil" political slogan, the first minister stated: "It's Scotland's energy." He added: "We know from analysis produced for Ofgem that a different policy approach would enable Scotland to have the lowest wholesale electricity prices in Western Europe. "As we set out in the paper published today, by selling that low-cost electricity into other markets at a profit; by increasing storage capacity, including pumped hydro storage; to end the folly of generators being paid not to produce electricity; and by removing unnecessary costs like the UK's nuclear levy, we can deliver big benefits here in Scotland. "That includes being able to lower household electricity bills by over one-third. A big saving for families across Scotland, offering the real hope that cost of living pressures will finally begin to ease." Mr Swinney said lower energy bills would benefit schools and the NHS. He added: "Think what that will mean for our National Health Service. "Less money spent on energy bills means more money to spend on doctors and nurses, on more operations and appointments." When questioned on how he intends to deliver Scottish independence if the UK government refuses a second referendum, Mr Swinney said: "We've got to demonstrate emphatic support for the proposition of independence, and we do so by electing a majority of SNP MSPs at the election in May." Read more from Sky News:Millionaire former Tory donor defects to ReformUK 'would benefit' from rejoining an EU customs union Mr Swinney said he met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Friday, and warned the Labour leader he is at risk of becoming the new Margaret Thatcher. The first minister said: "I left the prime minister in no doubt that unless he changes course, what we face is a second wave of 80s-style deindustrialisation, 80s-style economic devastation. "Today, Sir Keir Starmer is an even less popular prime minister than Liz Truss - and that takes some doing. "But if he does not change course on the energy profits levy, he will enter our national story as a second Thatcher, a second destroyer of industry, a second destroyer of communities. "And Scotland will not forget." The event was held in a city which has been described as the "asylum capital of the UK". When questioned on the SNP's "welcoming" position towards refugees amid growing numbers of protests about the issue, the first minister described the demonstrations outside asylum hotels as "appalling". He added: "There's language on these banners that I just find absolutely wholly and totally contemptible and hostile." Mr Swinney acknowledged the growing popularity of Reform UK, but said he would "challenge" the party. The first minister added: "I will go up against Reform in what they say. "I will stand firm in exercising that political leadership, and I'm quite sure I speak for the majority of people in Scotland in the process."

Marko has been an advisor to Red Bull's F1 team since they joined the grid in 2005, plus the Austrian company's second team, Racing Bulls, who made their F1 debut as Toro Rosso in 2006. The 82-year-old has a strong relationship with Max Verstappen and was understood to have played a key role in 2024 when Verstappen's future was up in the air amid allegations against Christian Horner that were later dismissed. 'Lando's way' - How F1 got a new kind of championF1 2026: Calendar, line-ups, new regulations, how to watch on Sky SportsDownload the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 Marko has been critical to Red Bull's junior programme and giving young drivers an opportunity to drive in F1, with Red Bull known for its ruthless decision-making. Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is keen for a fresh start for its F1 teams, with Marko's departure, which follows Christian Horner's sacking in the summer, part of the new look. Red Bull F1 team principal Laurent Mekies said on Sunday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: "Helmut has been incredible in how supportive he has been into helping us turning around things this year. "Obviously, him and top management had quite a few difficult decisions to make in the year, and of course, we always know F1 is not a static environment. You always adjust your organisations. "It applies to technical, it applies to sporting, and it's completely normal that we review how we can improve the way we operate all the time. I'm not saying that specifically for Helmut, but I'm saying that in general, we are in an environment where we always challenge each other and look for the next steps, no matter how small it is in trying to work together. "But I can only thank Helmut for the role he has played into making fundamentally better what looked like a difficult situation mid-season." Will Marko departure impact Verstappen? Sky Sports' Nigel Chiu: Verstappen has previously called Marko an "important pillar" of Red Bull and a "second father", such is his respect for the Austrian, who he first met as a 15-year-old in 2013. Marko helped Red Bull sign Verstappen by fast-tracking him to Formula 1 with just one year in Formula 3 before becoming the youngest F1 driver in the sport's history at 17 years old in 2015. Verstappen has kept his loyalty with Marko for convincing Red Bull to take what some saw as a risk to get such a young driver into F1 so quickly. The Dutchman has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028 but his future has been questioned in the last two years amid inter-team tension with Horner, who left the team earlier this year, and the car's performance. Performance will be the key to whether Verstappen stays with Red Bull, particularly as there are new regulations in 2026 where the pecking order is expected to be shaken up. Verstappen will have been convinced by Red Bull's development in the second half of this year where they nearly completed an incredible comeback to snatch the Drivers' Championship from McLaren and Lando Norris. But, he will want to be in a quick car in 2026 too, so even if the Red Bull environment is better than it has been for some years, car performance will come first, so Marko's departure is unlikely to affect Verstappen's thinking about his future. Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime