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Max Verstappen to Mercedes? The future of Red Bull driver hangs in balance
After Lewis Hamilton's dramatic departure, thoughts and speculations are making waves that Mercedes needs a new talisman of the same stature. Subsequently, the attention falls on none other than Red Bull's reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen. Reports are running rife that the Mercedes and Max Verstappen's representatives have held talks in recent weeks about a potential future Formula 1 tie-up. While there are indications, will the dialogues reach a conclusion point and materialise into something extravagant, is the question.
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Who wants the move - Mercedes or Verstappen?
The emergence of talks between Mercedes and Verstappen seemed unlikely because back in April, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had ruled out further chase to bring the Dutch driver on board.
He had told Sky F1: 'I always say I don't flirt outside if I'm happy in the relationship, professionally.
'I'm super happy with the line-up that we have. I couldn't wish for anything better, and Max is at Red Bull. We haven't had a conversation, we're continuing our trajectory.'
However, the situation has drastically changed since then and Wolff is seeking a driver change. Nevertheless, the opposite case may also take place as according to one source, it is Verstappen who has initiated the approach and wants to talk to Wolff about his future.
If it is indeed the case then Wolff should make a reservation for him as it is the job of every team boss to speak to every driver's management and figure out the best proposition for both parties.
Also Read | Max Verstappen accused of 'whinging' over claims of 'passport bias' by British press
Verstappen at a crossroads with Red Bull?
What is clear is that Verstappen and his management are ruminating about his F1 future. What could be the breaking point for both Verstappen and Red Bull is the fact that the franchise's dominance has been wiped away, and doubts are all over the place about whether the team will be able to compete at the front with its power units next year. Needless to say the four-time Formula One champion is aware of that and could potentially reach a crossroads – both in his career and life.
In racing terms, the next couple of years will showcase whether he will go on to become the most successful driver in F1 history or not. With the power units set to play a crucial role and decide whether he succeeds or not, being on the wrong side of things with Red Bull could cost Verstappen dearly.
Nobody knows right now which manufacturer has done the best job with the new power units, so making a big change in 2026 requires very much a leap of faith.
What will likely transpire?
With so many factors set to play a part, it is unlikely that the matters will be resolved soon.
It is known that Verstappen has a performance clause in his current contract with Red Bull that runs through to 2028 – although the exact details of this have not been made public. Thus, it will be intriguing to see what transpires next in this saga.
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What is notable is that Verstappen needs to be outside the top two or possibly top three in the drivers' championship by July 31 to exercise his exit clause, a condition that hasn't been met yet.
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