The rumor mill in Formula 1 is churning: Verstappen is said to be thinking about leaving Red Bull and negotiating with arch-rival Mercedes, of all companies.
"This is a very dark day, the gap is almost impossible to make up," said Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko on Sunday after his team's disastrous race in Austria.
Max Verstappen was taken out of the race early on by Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was once again out of his depth in the other Red Bull car and clearly missed out on the points.
It is the negative highlight of a desolate season so far - and then at the home race at the Red Bull Ring of all places. With the zero, Red Bull can already tick off the team championship and Verstappen is already 61 points behind the leader Oscar Piastri in the McLaren in the drivers' standings.
The Dutchman is the only ray of hope for the Bulls at the moment, as he knows how to get the best out of the difficult-to-drive car and already has two wins to his name this season. However, there is no improvement in sight for the car - probably not even in view of next season, when completely new cars will be used.
This can be interpreted from the rumor that has persisted for months: Max Verstappen is said to be thinking about leaving Red Bull. His new team? Arch-rival Mercedes of all teams.
Mercedes seat probably available
As reported by Sky Sports Italia, the two parties are to sit down at the negotiating table during the upcoming race weekend in Silverstone. Verstappen is not averse to a move to the Silver Arrows after the current season.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff would welcome the Dutchman with open arms, despite their rivalry in recent years. The Austrian is said to have confirmed his interest in Verstappen to Sky Sports.
The fact is that the (still) Mercedes driver George Russell does not yet have a valid contract for next season. This would clear Verstappen's path towards Mercedes.
