Jess
RUMOUR: Toto Wolff and Max Verstappen are rumoured to meet for contract discussions in Sardinia. Verstappen’s jet landed in Sardinia Friday afternoon.
Ralf schumacher
Reports have circulated since 2024 that four-time World Champion Max Verstappen might leave Red Bull. Verstappen joined Red Bull in 2016. He won his debut race with the team, but it wasn’t until 2021 that he clinched his first championship.
Since then, following a set of regulation changes in 2022, Red Bull and Verstappen have dominated the sport, winning all but one Grand Prix in 2023.
He has since added three more championships to his accolades, but now feels he has fallen out of contention for the 2025 championship due to Red Bull’s decline in performance since mid-season last year.
Currently, he trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 69 points.
Verstappen showcased remarkable consistency against his closest rivals, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, and delivered a stellar performance by racing from 17th to 1st in the wet conditions in Brazil to retain his title in 2024.
This year, however, he has only won 2 races, a sharp decline from his 2023 dominance. Red Bull now sits in 4th place in the constructors’ championship, down from last year’s 3rd place finish.
Red Bull’s Downfall
Max Verstappen has been vocal about the team’s struggles, both on the radio and in media interviews. He has emphasized that the issues surrounding the second Red Bull seat stem from car performance, not driver capability.
The fact this comment is so reoccuring from Verstappen, is a red flag. No driver enjoys feeling ignored by their team.
Verstappen will have gone into this year with reassurances from Red Bull that 2024’s struggles would not continue into this season. Unfortunately for him, and for Red Bull, this isn’t the case.
Ex-teammate Sergio Perez recently stated on a podcast that Red Bull’s development cycle and management problems began at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2023. Both drivers raised concerns about a similar issue during that weekend, which Perez claims the team ignored.
If Verstappen has been ignored, along with his string of teammates, for over two years, is it really that surprising he’s starting to look elsewhere? To us, it is not.
Imagine submitting a complaint or feedback on a work project and being continuously ignored. Sure, once the problem becomes evident, we may feel vindicated, but eventually, annoyance sets in from continued ignorance. It’s easy to understand Verstappen’s frustration.
This is where Mercedes come in.
They have not been quiet on their desire for Verstappen to join them.
These facts, along with high-profile departures such as Adrian Newey’s, have fueled rumours of Verstappen leaving Red Bull. He has drawn interest from several teams, including Aston Martin, which recently signed Newey, and McLaren, whose CEO, Zak Brown, inquired about Verstappen’s cost. However, Mercedes has emerged as the leading contender.
Last year, Verstappen was the top candidate to replace seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes when Red Bull faced difficulties.
George Russell, who has driven for Mercedes since 2022, expressed his eagerness to team up with Verstappen, aiming to compete against the best. Their rivalry has intensified, with Russell suggesting Verstappen was a bully, while Verstappen accused Russell of being two-faced during their 2024 Qatar GP clash.
Ultimately, Mercedes chose then-F2 driver and junior Kimi Antonelli to fill Hamilton’s seat.
Russell has delivered stellar and consistent performances this year, despite the car’s fluctuating speed. Antonelli has shown promise, securing a Sprint pole in Miami and a podium finish in Canada.
Many expect this lineup to continue into the new regulations next year, but Russell’s contract extension remains unannounced. Speculation suggested the British Grand Prix would be the ideal time for an announcement, but that did not happen.
Instead, rumors of contract negotiations between Verstappen and Mercedes have resurfaced. Verstappen maintains that his contract with Red Bull runs until 2028.
In response to Christian Horner’s recent dismissal, his manager stated their primary goal remains to return to winning, a reassuring yet ambiguous message for Red Bull.
Christian Horner, the former team principal of Red Bull, assured Sky Sports that Verstappen would not leave. However, with Horner’s unexpected departure, skepticism about this claim is understandable.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor and a close friend of Verstappen, stated that there are currently no developments between Verstappen and Mercedes. He also expressed confidence, claiming that “none of the exit clauses would apply at the moment.”
OE24
Martin Brundle speculates that Verstappen will stay with Red Bull now that Horner has left, suggesting it might be wise for the four-time champion to assess the competitive landscape after 2026.
However, Erik Van Haren reports that Verstappen’s camp did not demand Horner’s departure, nor does it guarantee Verstappen’s continued presence at Red Bull. Is this a desperate move by Red Bull’s higher-ups to retain Verstappen, or was Horner’s exit long overdue?
If rumors about Mercedes’ engine success hold true, the team could emerge as the dominant force by 2026—will Verstappen be part of that equation?
The engine collaboration between Ford and Red Bull Power Trains seems to be progressing well, although Ford has acknowledged that they are undertaking more than initially expected. Red Bull was among the first teams to voice concerns about battery deployment issues with the new engine regulations.
Why Mercedes?
In comparison to Red Bull, only positive reactions to the 2026 engine have been expressed by the Mercedes engine department. Customer teams, such as McLaren, appear unconcerned about the engine, further reinforcing the belief among the grid that it will be among the best.
Mercedes is set to provide for four teams next year, to Ferrari’s two, Honda and Audi’s one, and Red Bull to their junior team as well.
Mercedes hit gold with the regulations before 2022, winning eight constructor titles and seven driver titles. It’s possible they could do it again in 2026. Lewis Hamilton, while now at Ferrari, has said to F1 media that he ‘knows Mercedes are focused on the 2026 project already’. Other teams, such as McLaren and Red Bull, may not be given the stakes in this year’s championship.
Additionally, they are likely the only team that can afford to pay Verstappen as well. Money makes the F1 world go round after all.
This could be a massive draw for Verstappen to switch to Mercedes. The board at Mercedes seem to agree.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Mercedes president Ola Källenius has given the green light for the team to pursue Max Verstappen. Toto Wolff has been clear about his intention to negotiate with Verstappen since the rumours emerged at the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen’s camp has confirmed ‘talks’ with Mercedes, but nothing official or serious.
If the rumours surrounding the success of Mercedes’ engine are true, then Mercedes may be the winning team come 2026- so will Verstappen be there?
Ultimately, we won’t know until the summer break, a month and two races away. This deadline was reported by Erik van Haren, who is a reliable source for Verstappen news.
I’ll leave you with a bigger question:
