Why Max Verstappen can't join Mercedes despite Red Bull exit clause
The future of the four-time Formula 1 champion has been up in the air for some time, with Red Bull unable to build a car to challenge for the title this season.
While Verstappen has still picked up two wins this year, following Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix he is 81 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris the only one who can realistically challenge him.
Speculation has ramped up in recent weeks after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff revealed he was in talks with the Dutchman over a blockbuster move to the Silver Arrows.
Moreover, team principal Christian Horner was dismissed from his role by Red Bull, though Verstappen has since said his exit will not have any bearing on his own future.
Throughout the entire saga, it has been known that there is a performance-related release clause in Verstappen's contract which runs until 2028.
The 27-year-old was allowed to end his contract early and sign for a rival team, if he was outside of the top-three in the standings come F1's summer break.
Verstappen is currently third in the championship, with fourth-placed George Russell 28 points behind and this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix is the final race before the break
However, with 25 the maximum number of points up for grabs at the Hungaroring, Verstappen is guaranteed to remain in the top-three, so his release clause will not become active. More Trending
This does not rule out the transfer entirely, as the driver or Mercedes could buy out the remainder of his Red Bull contract, but given the huge expense required to do so, it is not under consideration.
Instead, Mercedes are expected to stick with their current line-up of Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli, both of whom are out of contract at the end of 2025.
According to the Daily Mail, an announcement is not expected before the Hungarian Grand Prix but Russell is very close to putting pen to paper on a new multi-year, £30million-a-season deal.
After a strong start to his F1 career, Antonelli's form has dropped off, scoring points in just one of the last seven races, but the 18-year-old's potential is clear to see and he should keep his seat.
Russell finished fifth in Belgium but was far from happy with the pace of his Mercedes car, telling Sky Sports: 'It was pretty underwhelming, to be honest.
'Because we tend to favour the cooler conditions. So we couldn't have really asked for better weather for us. But we've just had no pace recently. We need to sit down, all of us.
'We're going to have a big meeting this week with all the designers and engineers. To sort of understand the decisions we've made in recent weeks or months. And why we've gone backwards. So hoping for some improvements in Hungary.
'P5 was probably flattering the real pace of the car, so I'm at least happy we got the maximum possible. We made a clear change of direction a couple of months ago, and I think it's been since that point we've taken a step backwards.
'It sometimes takes a few races to understand what the real reasons are for that lack of pace, but clearly it seems that we need to revert back to what we had earlier in the season.'
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: All change in Formula One as Red Bull begin life after Christian Horner and Lewis Hamilton tells Ferrari 'it's crunch time'
MORE: Red Bull decide to sack driver just days after Christian Horner exit
MORE: Ferrari's stance on hiring Christian Horner after Red Bull sacking
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
8 minutes ago
- The Independent
F1 2025 mid-season awards: Best moment, worst race and biggest shock
Fourteen down, 10 to go. The 2025 F1 season is in full swing and it's neck-and-neck at the top of the world championship. After Lando Norris ' victory in Hungary following a thrilling finale, holding off a late charge from Oscar Piastri, the Australian's lead in the drivers' standings is now just nine points. Away from the McLaren title fight, Ferrari are second in the constructors' standings but have not won a race – with star signing Lewis Hamilton yet to secure a top-three finish – while Red Bull (twice) and Mercedes (once) have managed to finish on the top step of the podium. And what about the rest of the pack? Williams have shown signs of improvement, while Sauber have made massive progress in the last few months, ahead of their entry as Audi in 2026. As F1 rolls into the four-week summer break, with the next race in Zandvoort on 31 August, The Independent takes a look at the most memorable moments so far. It shouldn't be forgotten that Norris was the clear favourite at the start of the season, ahead of a campaign where McLaren's superiority was widely foreseen. Yet Piastri's consistency in just his third F1 season – he has been off the podium just once since the season-opener in Australia – means he leads the world championship and deservedly so, regularly outshining his senior teammate. Six wins, 12 podiums – it's been immensely impressive. Other shoutouts go to George Russell, who has eked out the maximum from this capricious Mercedes car, with one win and six podiums to his name. Max Verstappen 's wins in Japan and Imola were also mighty. Best team: McLaren What a job team principal Andrea Stella has done at the papaya-clad team, alongside CEO Zak Brown. In the space of a year, McLaren have overtaken Red Bull and overseen a period of dominance not a million miles off Verstappen's neat-perfect team in 2023. A lot of credit should go to chief designer Rob Marshall (formerly of Red Bull), who has carved out a car lightyears ahead of the rest of the field for Piastri and Norris. And with two genuine No 1 drivers, it has been rare for McLaren not to capitalise on their superiority. The team's 200th win on Sunday in Hungary is indicative of an outfit revitalised in a way not seen since the Ron Dennis era. Biggest disappointment: Lewis Hamilton There can be no sugar-coating it. Without a podium, let alone a win, in his first 14 races for Ferrari, it has been a dismal start to life at the Scuderia for the seven-time world champion. The last race in Hungary – beyond the disqualification in China – was perhaps the new nadir, with Hamilton at his most despondent in the media pen afterwards, describing his performance as 'useless' and even mooting that Ferrari should replace him. That won't happen. Team principal Fred Vasseur has signed a new deal and both parties are desperate for improvement, with focus firmly shifted on 2026's new regulations. Yet for a team who narrowly missed out on last year's constructors' title, and a driver desperate for an eighth title, it has been the most painful of struggles for the 40-year-old in red. Most improved team: Sauber Ex-Red bull chief Jonathan Wheatley's arrival in April has coincided with a dramatic revival for Sauber, who were firmly rooted to the bottom in 2024. Since round eight in Monaco, Sauber have scored points in every race with both rookie Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg regularly in the top-10, with the team now a respectable sixth in the constructors' standings. Which brings us nicely to…. The dramatic round of applause in the Silverstone media centre spoke volumes for the feel-good story that was the 37-year-old's first podium in Formula One, after 239 races. And what a podium it was, storming from 19th on the grid, perfecting every decision in a chaotic wet race and holding off a charging Hamilton to take third place. A real win for one of F1's most consistent performers – and more momentum for the outfit morphing into Audi in 2026. Biggest shock: Christian Horner's exit A few days on from Silverstone, a departure many would have anticipated at the start of last year came with a rapidly penned statement from Red Bull's parent company. Twenty years on from spearheading the energy drink outfit's foray into an F1 juggernaut, Horner was out as F1 CEO. Perhaps inevitably, the embattled team boss finally lost the long-running power struggle within the upper echelons of the team. Not long after, Verstappen committed his future to the team for 2026. But will Horner's exit trigger a turnaround on track? That remains to be seen. Best rookie: Isack Hadjar Out of the five (six if you include Liam Lawson) rookies on the grid this season, Racing Bulls' Hadjar has impressed the most. Sitting 13th in the standings, with just Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli ahead of him in the rookie race, the 20-year-old Frenchman's most impressive statistic is that he is yet to be eliminated in Q1 on a Saturday. His raw pace in a field of the world's best comes as a surprise and he may well be thrust into the second Red Bull seat next year as a result. Bortoleto has also recently come to the fore, while Ollie Bearman's form has dropped after some early-season promise. Most worryingly, the Briton is already two penalty points away from a race ban. Biggest farce: Liam Lawson dropped after just two races The poor New Zealander was hung out to dry by Horner and Red Bull, dropped to the sister team after just two rounds of the 2025 season. The shortest full-time seat stint in F1 history, it's perhaps understandable that Lawson has struggled for consistency at Racing Bulls in the weeks since. What is more indicative of Red Bull's struggles – and proves that Lawson was far from the issue – is Yuki Tsunoda's poor results in the RB21. The Japanese driver has scored a measly seven points since stepping up, and is without a top-10 finish in the last seven race weekends. The similarly uncomfortable handling of Jack Doohan at Alpine - with replacement Franco Colapinto without a point in the eight rounds since - deserves a mention too. Young drivers deserve more time to shine. Best race: Australian Grand Prix Melbourne's first wet race in 15 years brought meant the 2025 campaign started with high-octane drama. Norris claimed an impressive victory ahead of Verstappen, after Piastri slid off the racetrack to the dismay of the home fans. Hamilton, in a sign of things to come, was audibly frustrated with his Ferrari team as a potential podium slipped through his fingers. If nothing else, with nearly half a million fans attending throughout the weekend, it proved that Albert Park should return as a permanent host of the first race of the season over Bahrain, which it is at least for 2026. Worst race: Monaco Grand Prix No surprises here. Monaco's attempted rejig with two compulsory pit-stops was futile in the end, as Racing Bulls and then Williams manipulated the rules – and the circuit's 'no-overtaking' configurations – to slow down cars behind, creating a gap where both cars could score points. Back to the drawing board for the sport's traditional crown jewel event.
Daily Mirror
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Grand National winning trainer takes up joint licence with champion jockey's son
Lucinda Russell, who has twice saddled the winner of the Aintree marathon, is formalising an alliance with Michael Scudamore, son of her partner Peter Scudamore Scotland's most successful jumps stable will have an additional name on the front door after Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell announced a new training partnership. Russell is one of only a handful of active trainers to have won the Grand National twice, taking the prize with One For Arthur in 2017 and Corach Rambler in 2023. She has saddled over 1,000 winners since taking out her licence in 1995, also recording a big win in the 2021 Scottish Grand National with Mighty Thunder and clinched her fourth Cheltenham Festival success with Myretown in the Ultima Handicap Chase in March. Russell has achieved the top honours in tandem with her partner Peter Scudamore, the eight-time champion jumps jockey, and for the last two seasons Peter's son Michael has worked as assistant trainer. Michael Scudamore moved to Scotland after training on his own for 16 years during which he won the 2013 Welsh Grand National with Monbeg Dude, co-owned by former England rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall, and enjoyed Cheltenham Festival success with Next Sensation in the 2015 Grand Annual Chase. "The long-term plan has always been for Michael and myself to become joint trainers and it represents an exciting development for the stable as we look forward to the 2025/26 jumps season,' said Russell. ''In his two years as assistant trainer Michael has been able to embed himself into his role within the team and fully acquaint himself with our training methods which utilise the outstanding natural resources of the Perthshire countryside. ''Apart from the names on the licence, nothing will change but the effects of having Michael on board in a leadership role are already evident. ''The size of our stable has increased by 20 per cent since he arrived in Scotland. We have built more stables and will have around 160 horses in training by the time the jumps season fully kicks into gear. ''Being able to share responsibility for the operational running of the stable has also allowed me to concentrate more time on arguably the most important part of training, sourcing new horses. That has seen the quality of horses we are able to train continue to improve thanks to the support of our owners.'' Michael said: ''I am really excited to be joining Lucinda as joint trainer. The Russell stable has been one of the most successful in the country over the last two years and this move reflects our ambitions to reach even greater heights. ''Any trainer will tell you that when you move into a new stable it takes time to get used to the gallops and the environment around you. ''The last two years have been a great learning experience. I now feel I am fully integrated into a very experienced team in which everyone knows their roles. We have had some great results and everyone is eager to further build on that success.''
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Mercedes' ultra futuristic new EV boasts ‘shape-shifting' LED grille to display ‘messages' – would YOU buy it?
The light-up feature will vary depending on where you buy the car BIG REVEAL Mercedes' ultra futuristic new EV boasts 'shape-shifting' LED grille to display 'messages' – would YOU buy it? MERCEDES has launched a brand new EV which has an incredible 'shape-shifting' LED grille. The ultra-futuristic motor can even display messages on the screen on its front, in a 'new era' for the brand. Advertisement 3 The light up grid has over 900 pixel-like dots Credit: Mercedes 3 The vehicle is part of Mercedes' mission to take back its 'pedigree' Credit: Mercedes-Benz AG The incredible GLC with EQ technology has a giant 'hyper-screen' on its EQE and EQS models. According to the car manufacturer, the motor will begin a 'new era of iconic design at Mercedes-Benz'. The EQS will have a bright chrome surround and a screen with 942 pixel-like dots. The dots can be illuminated from behind and can be animated to display a variety of exciting graphics. Advertisement Mercedes has added its logo in the centre of the screen, though the amount that you can illuminate this will vary depending on where the motor is sold. In Europe, for example, you'll be able to light up the star but not the circle around it. Ola Källenius, Mercedes' CEO, said: 'When 100+ new companies are launching in China and cooling requirements are changing, how do you keep your identity? 'We are taking our heritage and pedigree and looking into the future.' Advertisement Design boss Gorden Wagener added: 'Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC. 'It redefines the face of our brand. Mercedes reveals its new luxury EV with 'superscreen' passengers can play video games or watch Netflix on while on move 'It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognisable.' The news comes as after the brand launched a new 4x4 vehicle which can rotate 360 degrees - just like a tank. Advertisement The incredible motor will cost a staggering £154,000 and is designed to be a rival to the upcoming EV Range Rover. Mercedes' battery-powered G-Wagen - also known as the G580 - boasts a top speed of 112mph, with 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds. It weighs a staggering 3085kg, meaning it could breach the 3.5-ton weight limit if the driver loads it with 415kg of luggage. 3 Mercedes Benz think the motor represents a 'new era' for the brand Credit: Alamy Advertisement
