Max Verstappen move to £3.1bn-valued F1 team in 2026 can’t be ‘ruled out’, he could be cheaper than expected

The future of Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen is set to dominate the Formula 1 driver market despite having one of the longest contracts in the paddock.

On paper, Max Verstappen’s position doesn’t appear to be particularly precarious.

He’s only eight points behind Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship, and Verstappen is signed up to a Red Bull contract until 2028.

However, Red Bull will be all too aware that Verstappen can escape that contract much earlier if results don’t improve.

Clauses in Verstappen’s contract could activate as early as this summer, meaning team principal Christian Horner has to oversee a rapid upturn in the team’s fortunes.

There are a host of teams who are interested in signing Verstappen, but each have their own pros and cons that they need to consider.

Mercedes have been linked with Verstappen for some time, and while there are discussions over Russell signing a new contract, nothing appears to be set in stone yet.

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Max Verstappen move to Mercedes in 2026 can’t be ruled out despite George Russell contract talks

Speaking on the James Allen on F1 Podcast, journalist Ronald Vording was speaking about Verstappen’s situation.

As a member of the Dutch press pack in the paddock, Vording has a close relationship with Verstappen’s camp and Red Bull and explained: “I have to say personally, I’m a little bit more cautious on Russell’s new contract.

“I do know that Toto is extremely happy with the current drivers. George is really growing into the role of team leader. Kimi also impresses me so far, especially if you look back to Formula 2.

“But I still would not rule out Max Verstappen for the Mercedes seat. And there’s also some kind of financial economic element behind that, maybe, because if Mercedes is by far the dominant team in 2026, then they don’t even need to spend an awful lot of money to get Max Verstappen or whatever top driver, because they will probably win the races anyway.

“So if you are Verstappen or if you are his management, if you want to make a move, then from a financial point of view, it might be a smart thing to do it before because then 2026 is still, at least in theory, it’s still unknown. Then you might get a better deal out of it.

“So, unless Mercedes is extremely confident that they don’t need Max and that they are impressed enough with the current line-up, that they are confident enough to deal early, which indeed, talks are ongoing, I know it.

“But personally, I think it’s not fully set in stone. I wouldn’t rule out Max just yet.”

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Toto Wolff faces an impossible Mercedes question trying to choose his 2026 driver line-up

It could be argued that being in the Red Bull junior program is one of the strongest positions to be in for young drivers, but the Mercedes program might now be the toughest.

Although Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are in the final years of their contracts, Wolff couldn’t be happier with both drivers.

The £3.1bn-valued F1 team is also one of the teams that Verstappen would be most likely to join should he decide to part ways with Red Bull.

In an ideal world, Wolff would potentially place Verstappen alongside Russell next year, and then loan Antonelli out to another F1 team to continue his development.

However, Wolff regretted letting Russell spend three seasons with Williams, and so, he may have to overlook Verstappen, even if he believes he’ll be cheaper than expected.

The problem arises in 12 months if Mercedes are the class of the field and Verstappen suddenly approaches Wolff about wanting to join the team. It might be much harder to turn down the four-time world champion in that situation.