Listen to the article

For the past few weeks, some rumours have been circulating the grid. Is there a possibility that the three-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen could join the ranks of Mercedes? At first thought, this idea seemed like complete nonsense, but with each passing day and recent news, the image of Verstappen in a Mercedes seems less and less blurry.

First, some context to understand the gravity of this news. Max Verstappen, triple world champion and by far the most dominant driver in Formula 1, has been linked to an old rival, Mercedes. In football terms, it’s as if Erling Haaland was to join Manchester United. When diving deeper into the case, there seems to be a reasonable explanation behind this rumour.

Why Mercedes ?

While Verstappen is linked to a move to Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton on the other hand, Mercedes’ number 1 driver and Max’s rival during the 2021 season, announced that he will join Ferrari in the 2025 season, freeing up a seat next to George Russell. Many speculations surrounded this specific issue, with some fans expecting Carlos Sainz or Lando Norris to replace Hamilton. The news broke when no one even thought about Verstappen.

The Trigger Factor

In light of the recent drama around Red Bull’s team principle Christian Horner, many believe that he is the reason behind Max’s potential departure. Horner has been accused of sexual harassment by a female employee within the team of Red Bull, as the situation is getting increasingly more complicated with each day.

Even after charges had been dropped, some controversial emails were leaked by Helmut Marko, one of Red Bull Racing’s directors, which made the affair go back to square one. The most recent news about this particular subject is that Horner paid the employee €700,000, with Red Bull increasing it to a total of €1 million, which says a lot about Horner’s guiltiness.

Although Horner has been serving as Red Bull’s manager since 2005, the team may face a decision between the driver and the principal. This decision poses a dilemma between the individual who shaped Red Bull Racing into what it is today, and the other individual who is expected to define the team’s future.

Following these surprising news, Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, had some strong statements to share regarding Horner’s situation, “He is playing the victim when he is the one causing problems.” Jos also added, “It cannot continue this way,” a bold statement that could be addressing the rumours about Max’s exit.

Additionally, it is believed that Helmut Marko may be facing disciplinary action against him prior to the leaked emails. However, Max showed a lot of support for Marko, who was the reason the driver initially joined Red Bull, “It is very important that he stays. I feel like if such an important pillar falls away, and I have told the team this, that it is not good for my situation as well.”

Weighing the Pros and Cons

In this context, Verstappen’s departure seems more and more possible, with the dutchman facing a very hard decision to make: join a long-time rival amid the disagreements with Horner, or stay in a chaotic environment with one of the most powerful cars in racing history.

It is also worth noting that Formula 1 has seen many controversial moves during the years, such as Hamilton’s arrival to Mercedes from McLaren, a move that proved to be extremely beneficial for the Englishman.

On the other hand, Verstappen’s father has been very critical about many subjects during the driver’s career, making him a somewhat controversial figure. The decision should come down to Max, as he is the one who will be actually driving the car.

Lastly, this decision is obviously very hard to make. As Verstappen spent many years at Red Bull and won many titles (and possibly future ones), moving to a direct rival is not an easy choice at all. Moreover, this would greatly affect the dutchman’s brand and image, as his fans, the Orange Army, are used to always support him in Austria, Red Bull’s home race.

In any case, Red Bull Racing has given a lot to Verstappen and he has clearly paid them back with many impressive titles, meaning that he has a great relationship with the team. This situation can be seen as Max being forced out of Red Bull, rather than leaving them for Mercedes.

With Red Bull Racing facing a lot of controversy since the start of the season, an atmosphere like this may affect their chances to dominate again on the grid. Going into this season, Verstappen was understandably the favorite to win the championship again this year, potentially making him the winner of four F1 championships in a row, something that was not done since Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull (2010-2013).

For now, the dutchman is still looking overwhelmingly dominant on the track with his insanely powerful car, but this current complex situation may affect the team on the long term, making this season’s (and the next one’s) outcome hard to predict. Time will tell if Formula 1 fans will get to see Max Verstappen in a Mercedes car.