SUMMARY
- Max Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes, following Lewis Hamilton's signing with Ferrari.
- The Red Bull star reportedly has a clause in his contract, that allows him to leave if Helmut Marko leaves.
Max Verstappen has been the talk of the town in recent times and his on-track performances have been the main reason for that. The Dutchman has now won two F1 Driver’s Championships in a row (2022, 2023), taking over the F1 world from Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. Red Bull has provided Verstappen with yet another powerful car the RB20. It looks like he’s on the path to winning the third title in a row if all goes well for RB.
But some off-the-track drama has shed some light on the racing driver, but it’s because of the fact that his future with Red Bull has been in doubt. There have been some rumors surrounding Verstappen’s possible move to Mercedes, amidst the ongoing Christian Horner drama.
There is allegedly an exit clause in Max Verstappen’s contract that allows him to leave Red Bull if Helmut Marko does.
Marko said: “As far as I’m concerned, I won’t get in Max’s way.”.
Toto Wolff now sees a real chance to put Verstappen in a Mercedes next year.
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— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) March 4, 2024
F1 fans must be aware of the rumored clause that exists in Verstappen’s with Red Bull. Reports claim that if Helmut Marko decides to leave, there will be nothing that stops the superstar driver from leaving the team as well. Moreover, some outlets claim that Christian Horner was not even aware of the said clause, which makes it even more interesting.
Max Verstappen breaks silence on Mercedes rumors
Verstappen said to RacingNews365, “Well you know the thing is that no one would have ever realized or seen that Lewis would have moved to Ferrari. In my life, and it doesn’t matter that it is not related to F1, just general life, you never know what is going to happen or what comes to you, whatever happens around you, or what might influence you.”
“So you can never say 100% that that is how it is going to be [and I won’t go to Mercedes in the future]. I approach my life like that, but I also don’t think about it too much, I am very relaxed and happy at the team, and happier that the performance is there,” Max added.
Even Max is unsure of what the future holds and mentions Hamilton‘s move to Ferrari, which the world didn’t see coming. Similarly, Verstappen could be involved in a blockbuster and last-minute move that could catch the entire sporting world off guard.
Will Verstappen leave Red Bull to join Mercedes?
Max Verstappen has won 9 consecutive F1 races now, including the latest triumph at the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP. He continues to tower over his opponents with ease, as well as his RB teammate Sergio Perez. Despite having a similar car, the Mexican has struggled to keep up with Verstappen in terms of pace, which has placed his future into doubt as well.
Realistically, it looks like Verstappen’s move to Mercedes might be a bit far-fetched now. Toto Wolff has expressed huge admiration for Mercedes’ junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli and that could surely mean that the 17-year-old could have a chance as well. With that said, only time will tell whether Verstappen remains with the Austrian team.
