Verstappen Transfer News: Is a Move Happening?

AMSTERDAM – Dutch car racer Max Verstappen reportedly started negotiations to move to Mercedes with the head of the German stall of F1 Tot Wolff. The Italian media reported on Wednesday.

Wolff has confirmed last week that his team is trying to win the reigning four -time world champion currently in Red Bulle. The team with whom he won all the titles and his career has been associated with him since 2014, is experiencing decline.

He started after last year’s accusation of Christian Horner’s head of sexual harassment and probably the biggest blow to the Austrian stable was the departure of technical director Adrian Newey. Already last year, Red Bull lost a cup of designers and this season ranks 11 out of 24 big prizes in the fourth place with an abysmal loss to McLaren.

Speculation about the possible transfer of Verstappen has increased during the Austria VC, when the current pilot of “silver arrows” George Russell told the media that he had not yet had a new contract. Italian Sky Sports recently informed that Verstappen would like to cancel a contract with his current employer, which is valid until 2028.

Max Verstappen is open to leaving Red Bull to join Mercedes for the 2026 F1 season, with talks intensifying ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, according to Sky in Italy pic.twitter.com/7y6WtEPsjt

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 2, 2025

At that time, new rules with active aerodynamics, electric improvements, ecological fuel and smaller monoposts will be in force for three years. It is this change that allegedly discourages the change of the Mercedes Board of Directors, which counts on the next season with a highly improved monopost, which does not necessarily need the best rider on the starting grid. A complication for both sides could also be the fact that a new rider, who had not cooperated with the team before, will come to the brand new car.

On the other hand, Russell pulls with Mercedes for the fourth season. The theoretical option is also the exchange of the second pilot Kimi Antonelli, who also has a contract only for this season. However, the relationships between Verstappen and Russell are not ideal at all since last year’s VC of Qatar, after which the Dutchman penalized in the qualifying based on Russell’s initiative and the world champion had heard that he “lost respect” against his British opponent.

Interesting is also the clause in the Verstappen contract, according to which it can end it after this season, unless it is at the beginning of the summer break in the overall ranking among the best four. He is currently in third place with a lead of 36 points at the fifth Monacan Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.

Three races remain until the summer break, while in the previous three the Dutchman won 19 points together, while Leclerc booked 40. Interestingly, Nine points behind Verstappen is mentioned Russell

• Author: © List/
• X/Sky Sports F1
• Source: TASR