The summer break isn’t quite here yet for Formula One (that will take place after the next two races), but that hasn’t stopped speculation about what will happen for star racer Max Verstappen and his future.
Having cemented his status with Red Bull, winning the driver’s championship four times, it’s not been a secret that he’s strongly coveted by Toto Wolff and the ambitious Mercedes team that looks to return to its winning ways. Rumors have run rampant indicating that Verstappen could end up switching one flagship team for the other, especially considering the losses that Red Bull has had — most notably with chief technology officer Adrian Newey departing the Hungarian outfit for Aston Martin.
However, according to an Austrian TV network, Mercedes’ dreams may be in jeopardy.
According to multiple posts on X (formerly Twitter), ORF TV (which hasn’t put out an article itself on its X account or on its website) is reporting that Verstappen’s escape clause from Red Bull has expired, making a move a bit more unlikely.
It’s difficult to signify the veracity of this report, however, given that a move wasn’t likely to happen before the summer break. But, if true, it would likely make Verstappen’s exit implausible due to the cost that Mercedes would accrue if it were to get Verstappen to switch constructors.
Verstappen is currently under contract with Red Bull through the 2028 season, as it were. And Mercedes has two capable drivers in veteran George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli. The scuttlebutt surrounding Christian Horner’s exit was that it was part of a ploy to keep Verstappen (and his father, Jos) more likely to side with Red Bull, and given the struggles of Yuki Tsunoda in the second seat this year, it will likely make the constructor that much more desperate to retain its star driver.
