Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is reportedly open to leaving Red Bull Racing to join arch-rivals, Mercedes, for the 2026 season, with talks intensifying ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, according to Sky in Italy.
Speculation about Verstappen’s future ramped up at the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend when George Russell told Sky Sports F1 that he has not been given a new Mercedes contract beyond 2025 due to the team having “ongoing conversations” with Verstappen.
The notion of Verstappen possibly joining Mercedes increased when Toto Wolff stated that there are ‘conversations behind closed doors’, while Sky Italia report that Verstappen is open to freeing himself from his current deal at Red Bull Racing which expires in 2028.
Verstappen has a clause in his contract that will allow him to leave Red Bull after this season in the scenario he is not in the top four of the Drivers’ Championship at the start of the F1 summer break, which follows the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3.
It is understood that it will take more than £100m for Verstappen to buy himself out of his contract with the Austrian outfit.
At the moment, Verstappen has endured an inconsistent season which sees him third on the driver standings, 61 points behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and 46 points off Lando Norris, while he leads Mercedes’ George Russell by nine points.