As uncertainty continues to lurk around Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull, team boss Laurent Mekies has provided an update on the future of the team. With Verstappen linked to Mercedes and McLaren, Mekies has stated that Red Bull is in talks with other drivers.
Rumours that Verstappen is in talks with rival team Mercedes have circulated since last season, with a resurgence recently due to Red Bull's current form on track. The news of Max's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, heading to 2025 rival McLaren has cemented rumours that the reigning Constructors' Champions are also looking to poach Verstappen.
Verstappen - contracted until 2028 - is currently seventh in the drivers’ standings, meaning he has the right to terminate his contract with Red Bull due to a performance-based exit clause. The clause states that if he ranks below second in the standings going into the summer break, he has the option to leave the team ahead of the 2027 season. With just one more race to go before the summer break, it's safe to say that he will be able to activate the clause if he chooses to do so.
Mekies appears confident in Red Bull's driver lineup, but what are the options for 2027?
Laurent Mekies confirmed at the Belgian Grand Prix that Red Bull are considering their options, with Oscar Piastri emerging as a strong prospect. According to Mekies, Red Bull are fielding calls from “good drivers” from across the grid, but with Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren all having their drivers under contract for the long-term, it would be an expensive move for Red Bull to poach.
↗︎Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Mekies said: “It's completely natural Max gets called from everyone because he's the best driver in the world and, equally, if you are a top team, you are going to get calls from many of these good drivers around as well. That's natural.
"Is it a distraction for us? Not really. The full focus is to get that car as fast as it can, then you will keep your best driver in the world and we also see there's a massive growth of Isack [Hadjar] alongside Max.
"That for us is the ideal pairing and we try to make sure we can keep that pairing.”
If Verstappen were to move to McLaren, it would leave Piastri out of a seat, making him an easy choice to fill Verstappen’s shoes. Piastri’s form across the 2025 season also gained attention as he dominated the campaign, only just beaten to the title by Norris.
Another driver that could be looking to make a move is Oliver Bearman, with the Haas driver struggling to advance in his current machinery, despite excellent performances at the start of the season. Coming from the Ferrari Driver Academy, the Brit has strong links to the Italian team, however Lewis Hamilton’s performance this season makes it unclear whether Bearman will have an opportunity with the team in the near future, making Red Bull an optimal choice for the young driver.
Laurent Mekies has had his work cut out for him since assuming his position as Team Principle at Red Bull, and the uncertainty around Verstappen has only furthered this. There have been rumours of unrest amongst the Mateschitz camp, who are allegedly furious at Verstappen’s lack of loyalty to the team despite being allowed to pursue other ventures whilst receiving a hefty salary.
If Verstappen leaves Red Bull, where will he go?
The four-time World Champion has been linked to Mercedes since last season, with team boss Toto Wolff and delays to George Russell’s contract negotiations fuelling speculation. With a lineup currently confirmed of Russell and championship leader Kimi Antonelli, it seems unlikely that a move to the Silver Arrows will be made, however their car performance makes them an attractive prospect.
↗︎Wolff has dismissed rumours in recent weeks, claiming that he is content with the driver lineup at Mercedes, but his interest in the Dutch driver leaves plenty of space for this to change.
McLaren remain the most likely option for Verstappen at this stage, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri ahead of him in the drivers standings. Another major factor in this potential move is Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, who will be joining McLaren in 2028 as Chief Racing Officer. His move is just another blow for the team, who have lost key personnel over the last year.
While Norris and Piastri have long-term contracts with the Woking-based team, there has been speculation that Piastri and Verstappen could swap seats, which would see the Australian heading to Red Bull in 2027.
No comment has been made by Piastri, however Zak Brown, McLaren CEO, expressed at Silverstone that he intends to keep both Norris and Piastri at the team. The fickle nature of the sport does not help to calm speculation of a possible swap, and neither does Mark Webber’s - Piastri’s manager - links to Red Bull, as a former driver for the team.
Only time will tell as to whether we see a shuffle at Red Bull, and with the summer break just around the corner, we will soon find out.
