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ABC News
9 hours ago
- ABC News
Max Verstappen F1 future uncertain as rumours swirl he will leave Red Bull for Mercedes
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is the centre of attention ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix as rumours intensify that he could leave Red Bull Racing at the end of the season. Verstappen has won the previous four drivers' championships, but his hopes of a record-equalling fifth consecutive title appear to be a long shot as McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris continue to set the pace in 2025. Despite having a contract until 2028, rumours have intensified over several weeks that the Dutchman could leave Red Bull. Mercedes appears to be the front runner to snag Verstappen's signature, while Aston Martin has also been rumoured to have tried to lure the world champion. 2009 world champion Jenson Button, speaking with UK broadcaster Sky Sports, said Verstappen holds all the aces, but making the right choice is not so simple. "The good thing that Max has in his favour is he's probably the best racing driver that's ever raced in a Formula 1 car, my view," Button said. "So everyone wants him, so it's a nice position to be in. "But it's also tricky to really pick and choose who is going to be competitive next year." F1 will have new technical regulations starting from 2026. The new rules mean teams will be building brand new cars for the 2026 season. Red Bull nailed the most recent regulation change in 2022, leading to historical dominance in 2022 and 2023. Before that, the regulation change in 2014 led to an era of Mercedes dominance. Mercedes won all eight constructors' championships during that regulation cycle from 2014-2021, and their drivers won seven of the eight drivers' championships. Verstappen's last-lap heroics in Abu Dhabi 2021 denied Hamilton the championship and Mercedes the clean sweep of all 16 titles. Despite Verstappen winning two grands prix this season, Red Bull has underperformed. The team are fourth in the constructors' championship, with Verstappen accounting for 155 of the team's 162 points. Button said a major factor that Verstappen could be weighing up is which powertrain supplier he wants to drive for. Mercedes has the best-performing powertrain in 2025. A Mercedes-powered car has won nine of the 11 grands prix this season, with McLaren accounting for eight of those wins. "I think that Red Bull is a team that has given him so much over the years, and this car really suits his driving style," Button said. "Everyone's talking about power units. The power unit of the Mercedes seems to be very strong compared to everything else, so he [Max] wants to be in a Mercedes. "But can they deliver the car for him that suits his style? Who knows." Red Bull team principal Christian Horner dismissed the rumours during last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix. Horner described the rumour mill as "a lot of noise", while affirming Verstappen is still contracted with Red Bull. "We are very clear with the contract we have with Max until 2028. Anything is entirely speculative that has been said. We tend to not pay too much attention to it," Horner told Sky Sports. "The situation with Max — we know clearly where we are at, as does Max. Everything is subject to noise, and obviously, within the contract remains confidential to the two parties." Current Mercedes drivers George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli are out of contract at the end of this season. Russell has been outspoken in his wish to sign a new contract with Mercedes. The Brit has four grand prix victories since joining the team in 2022.
News.com.au
10 hours ago
- News.com.au
F1 team Alpine look to make move to lure Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes for 2026
Formula 1 constructor Alpine have enquired about acquiring 10-time race winner Valtteri Bottas as their second driver in what could be a sensational shake-up on the grid. Alpine are adamant on getting their driver line-up right for 2026 and Bottas, a former Mercedes driver might be the key as the team looks to successfully transition out of a poor year. The Enstone-based team currently sit last in the constructors championship standings with only 11 points. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Their fortunes could be set to change as they look to switch to a Mercedes power unit next year, and a former driver of theirs might just be the perfect fit to help steer their chances. Alpine's executive advisor and de factor team principal Flavio Briatore has enquired with the Silver Arrows about the move with the expectation Mercedes will not stand in the way of their reserve driver landing a permanent seat. Bottas is contracted until the end of the year. While Frenchman Pierre Gasly remains part of the Alpine project moving forward, there are question marks over the second seat currently held by a struggling Frank Colapinto, who already took the seat from Aussie Jack Doohan earlier in the racing season. Bottas suddenly has a couple of suitors. The 35-year-old and former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez are the frontrunners to be the two drivers for Cadillac, which is joining F1 as the sport's 11th team next season. After sacking Doohan, Briatore said Alpine planned to rotate the second seat among their reserve drivers for the reset of the season, depending Colapinto's performance. Highly rated reserve driver Paul Aron will make his debut in the first practice session this weekend at the British Grand Prix for rival team, in an agreement with Alpine. Colapinto has struggled since his debut for the team, still without a point in his five races, however he isn't the only one to blame. Given Gasly has also struggled to perform, notching points on only one occasion since Colapinto's arrival, it's clear the car is not up to the standard that Alpine want. The switch to the Mercedes power unit mean their fortunes could be set to chance next year, meaning a simultaneous driver change could also be in the cards. Bottas makes the most sense, given the experience of 247 grands prix to his name, among them 10 race wins and 67 podiums with Mercedes. The Finnish driver is the reserve driver for Mercedes this year, giving him a unique insight into the development of the 2026 car Alpine will ultimately end up with. Though he remains the reserve driver for Mercedes, his path to the grid remains blocked by George Russell and young sensation Kimi Antonelli who look set to be the driver pairing for the foreseeable future. That is unless Red Bull driver Max Verstappen looks to test his options — the four time champion could find himself in the Mercedes garage if a shock team switch eventuates, but neither scenario helps Bottas.
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
George Russell on the chopping block as Mercedes inches closer to securing Max Verstappen: report
The word loyalty means nothing in F1 if you have a chance at snagging Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion's potential move to Mercedes has thrown the Formula 1 paddock into disarray, with serious questions now being raised about George Russell's future at the team he now calls home. Speculation that Verstappen is considering a sensational switch from Red Bull to Mercedes reached fever pitch ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix, as new reports out of Italy suggested talks between the reigning world champion and Mercedes had progressed. Sky Italy reported the deal was 'close' to being closed, but nothing has been confirmed by either team. It's understood that Verstappen's camp initiated contact, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was quick to oblige. 'As a team principal responsible for the best car brand in the world, it is clear you're exploring what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future,' Wolff said last weekend in Austria. Verstappen remains under contract with Red Bull until 2028, but his deal reportedly includes performance-based exit clauses. With Red Bull's dominance no longer assured and Verstappen sitting third in the standings — just nine points ahead of Russell — murmurs of a potential departure have grown louder. Christian Horner has dismissed it all as 'a lot of noise', while Helmut Marko insists the exit clauses haven't been triggered despite Red Bull's obvious slump. 'As things currently stand, there is absolutely no reason that this contract won't be fulfilled,' Marko said. But if Verstappen does jump ship, Mercedes will need to make room — and that's where things get mighty uncomfortable for Wolff. On paper, the logical candidate to make way is 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli. He's done incredibly well in his first few showings at the highest level, but Russell is still by and large the team's most capable point scorer. But cutting the teenage prodigy Mercedes has spent years nurturing through the junior ranks would ignite a PR firestorm the team will avoid like the plague. Dropping Antonelli before he even gets a proper shot would seriously undermine the development system Wolff has championed. That leaves Russell in the firing line. Russell has been one of the standout performers of 2025, consistently outperforming the car and emerging as a reliable team leader after Hamilton's exit. His axing would go down as one of the coldest in modern F1 history. But it's not entirely unprecedented, according to former driver and commentary royalty Martin Brundle The Sky Sports Pundit says that despite Russell's impressive form, his contract remains unsigned for 2026. 'He's the more vulnerable of the two,' Brundle said. 'If Mercedes really want Max, Russell is probably the one who has to move on.'
