Max Verstappen is currently under a contract that keeps him at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 F1 season. However, that has never come in the way of rumors of him joining Mercedes.
Red Bull and Mercedes have shared a fierce rivalry, which reached its crescendo in 2021. With Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton fighting for the drivers’ championship, the two camps often saw the animosity spill over to the outside of the racing track.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has lately grown softer towards the Dutchman, though. The shift in attitude became apparent in the aftermath of the announcement of Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in 2024. As Wolff was looking for his star driver’s replacement, Verstappen was naturally the best alternative he could have.
The move could not be finalized, and Wolff ultimately brought on board 18-year-old prodigy Kimi Antonelli. However, the ‘Verstappen to Mercedes’ saga has refused to settle down. The rumors have picked up yet again with Wolff confirming talks with the reigning champion.
Verstappen, meanwhile, has refused to confirm or deny the reports. He has, however, received former rival Hamilton’s stamp of approval for the move. Not only has Hamilton advised Verstappen to join Mercedes, but also apologized to Red Bull for underestimating them.
“Of course. I mean, he’s coming from a great team. Many, many years ago, I was being asked something about, I can’t remember,” said Hamilton in a print media session ahead of the British GP. “I think I was just so diehard Mercedes at the time, and I remember saying something about Red Bull being only a drinks company.
“And I always regretted it, because I was just saying that Mercedes at the time was just great. I was really just trying to G up my team, but the truth is, Red Bull have been an incredible team. There’s so many people there that are exceptional, and they’ve dominated for years. But what I can say, if anyone was going to ask me about Mercedes, it’s an amazing team also.
“With, naturally, the passion, they’ve got great personnel, it’s a great factory, great environment to work in. So, of course I would say, be interested to see what happens.”
Alonso wants a “huge amount of money” for ‘Verstappen to Mercedes’ consultation
At 43 years of age, not only is Fernando Alonso among the most experienced drivers in F1, but also one of the closest friends of Verstappen. That makes him a learned voice that the Dutchman should listen to, especially during times when his team is struggling.
With only half a season to go before the new set of regulations comes into force, Red Bull is fourth in the standings. Mercedes, in third, is ahead of the Milton Keynes outfit by 47 points. Their senior driver, George Russell, who most recently won the Austrian GP, is trailing Verstappen by just nine points, meanwhile.
Alonso, in these trying times for Verstappen, has chosen to dodge the question. In his own witty fashion, the Spaniard asked to be paid before giving any consultative advice.
“No. No advice. Well, I can be a consultant, but they need to pay a huge amount of money, at the moment, no advice,” said a smiling Alonso.
Verstappen reportedly has a performance clause in his Red Bull contract. That performance clause could see him leave the team before his contract reached maturity at the end of 2028. Whether their current state in the championship is enough for the Dutchman to jump ship is unclear.
Verstappen will most likely see his championship run end this year. Surely, he will wait to see how the team performs under the next set of regulations. After all, Red Bull is betting big with their powertrain partnership with Ford. Seems like the ‘Verstappen to Mercedes’ saga could stretch on longer than most expect it to.
