It sounds far-fetched that Max Verstappen might move to Mercedes in the near future. After all, the Dutchman is driving from world title to world title with the superior Red Bull and on top of that he still has a contract there that runs until 2028.
However, the signs are increasing, so that several Formula 1 experts now consider Verstappen’s departure to be quite likely.
Gerhard Berger put it most clearly. “As of now: “Horner stays, Helmut Marko and Adrian Newey quit and Max goes to Mercedes,” the Tyrolean, who was once one of the first athletes to be sponsored by Red Bull, is quoted by the “f1-insider.com” platform .
At Red Bull Racing, around the opening Grand Prix on Saturday in Bahrain, which Verstappen won overwhelmingly, they tried to calm the issue surrounding team boss Christian Horner. The Brit, who is presumed innocent, is accused of sending lewd messages, photos and videos to an employee. After an internal team investigation by an independent lawyer, Red Bull is sticking with the 50-year-old, who is married to ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
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“Red Bull is on the verge of explosion”
The case manifests itself in a rumored internal team power struggle that has prevailed since the death of Dietrich Mateschitz. As a result, Horner finds himself on one side with Red Bull majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya as the most important advocate. On the other hand are Red Bull’s Austria headquarters with the German managing director Oliver Mintzlaff and the Styrian Helmut Marko. The motorsport consultant is close to the Verstappens.
Verstappen took no position in the matter, at least verbally. His father Jos Verstappen took care of that for him. “He (Horner; note) plays the victim while he is the one who causes the problems,” the ex-Formula 1 driver was quoted as saying in the “Daily Mail”. Verstappen Senior is also said to have said: “The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on like this. It will explode.”
It was fitting that son Max threw his arms around Marko and Newey during the celebrations before the award ceremony in Bahrain. His position seems clear.
This constellation opens a back door for the change mentioned at the beginning. As Auto-Motor-Sport and “f1-insider.com” both report, there is said to be an exit clause in Verstappen’s contract, according to which he can leave the team if his sponsor and confidant Marko is no longer at Red Bull Racing.
If Horner actually emerges as the winner from the power struggle, the 80-year-old Marko and the 65-year-old Newey might drop out and Verstappen might also look for an alternative.
“Max is traveling in another galaxy,” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said following Verstappen’s dominant opening victory in Bahrain. A pandering of praise that, given Red Bull’s internal mechanisms, is seen by some experts as courtship. As is well known, the Silver Arrows are looking for a top driver due to Lewis Hamilton’s impending departure to Ferrari.
