Mercedes to Max Verstappen? The defense and opposition to the shocking Red Bull departure
The Dutch driver still has years to go before his contract with Red Bull comes to an end, but Toto Wolff has been pulling at the loose threads that have appeared in recent months.
Verstappen is under lock and key until the end of the F1 2028 season but has made it clear that his continued loyalty to Milton Keynes remains dependent on the involvement of Helmut Marko as team consultant and advisor.
The exact machinations of Verstappen’s contract aren’t known but, usually, there are all sorts of get-out clauses and conditional breaks that could allow for an earlier split if one or both parties wanted to.
For instance, the huge change in regulations in F1 2026 – together with Red Bull’s attempts to fly solo on the engine front as Red Bull Powertrains replace Honda – mean Verstappen almost certainly has escape clauses built in for after that season.
But the recent turmoil that has enveloped Red Bull has triggered plenty of speculation about Verstappen’s future and has led to Toto Wolff making it clear he’d welcome the Dutch driver with open arms to step into the cockpit left vacant by Lewis Hamilton.
Of course, some publications have suggested serious negotiations are already underway between the two parties, although Christian Horner said there is ” no ambiguity as to where Max Verstappen will be next year.”
Speaking after the Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff suggested that “factors” other than having the “quickest car” could play a role in Verstappen leaving Red Bull.
“There are so many factors that play a role for a driver joining,” Wolff said.
“Clearly when you look at it from the most rational point of view, you can say: ‘That’s the quickest car in the hands of the quickest driver.’
“But I don’t think this is the only reason you stay where you are.
“I think, for simple minds, that might be the only reason why you stay in a car and that’s it, but maybe there are more depths for some people that consider other factors too. I think that Max has that.
“In that respect, are we able to convince him? I don’t think it’s a matter of convincing.
“I think that Max knows motor racing better than anyone, he will take decisions that he feels are good for him.
“I think a few factors play a role, but he’s the one that is going to trigger some more domino stones to fall in afterward. Everybody is waiting for what he’s going to do.”
As for when – if at all – Verstappen could move from Red Bull to Mercedes, Wolff revealed he wasn’t at that “point” of discussions with the reigning World Champion.
“You have conversations with many drivers exploring new opportunities so that isn’t surprising,” said the Austrian.
“As for Max, we’re not at the point where we would have discussed years or stuff.”
But for now, he admits: “If I was Max I would stay at Red Bull in 2025, but I’m not Max. It’s the quickest car but there are still other factors.”
Upon being told of Wolff’s comments, Horner said: “Have you spoken to Max about this? Because if you speak to Max – and certainly it’s not about pieces of paper at the end of the day, we know that he has a contract to the end of 2028 – it’s about how he feels in the team and the relationship he has in the team and the way he’s performing.
“I don’t think Toto’s problems are his drivers; I think he’s probably got other elements that he needs to be focusing on rather than focusing on drivers that are unavailable.
“We’ve moved today ahead of the amount of races that Mercedes have won in the modern era.
“The team is in form, why on earth would you want to leave this team?
“Mercedes are the third team behind their customers [McLaren and Aston Martin] at the moment, so I would think [Wolff’s] time would be better spent perhaps focusing on the team rather than the driver market.”
Speaking to the media ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen himself was asked about his future and about the doubts over whether he’d stay with Red Bull until the end of his current contract at the conclusion of 2028.
“After 2021, I signed a long deal with the team,” he said. “The only thing that I always said from the beginning is we want to have a quiet, peaceful environment.
“I do think lately we’ve been talking about the car so I’m happy about that already. We’re talking about the performance of the car. That’s also how it should be.
“As long as I’m happy with the team, there’s never been a reason to leave.”
Speaking after the 2023 season, Jos Verstappen told PlanetF1.com the intention is for Max to try seeing out his entire F1 career with Red Bull.
