Max Verstappen 'Will Walk Away' - Red Bull Given Warning

Former F1 mechanic Marc Priestley has discussed the ongoing rumors that Max Verstappen could move to Mercedes amid the ongoing reports of internal conflict at Red Bull. Although Priestley states he cannot see the three-time champion moving to another squad, he is firm in his belief that Verstappen will “walk away” as soon as he is not enjoying the sport anymore.

I would never say Max Verstappen won’t join Mercedes, but it’s a very difficult decision to leave Red Bull at the moment while they’re this strong. Verstappen is not all about the record books, he doesn’t want to achieve more championships than Hamilton and he’s already stated he won’t want to be in F1 at the age of 40.”

Priestley elaborated:

“The moment Verstappen isn’t enjoying F1, he’ll walk away and I respect that. Next year, there is a strong chance Red Bull will dominate yet again, and with Mercedes, they need to take an enormous leap to compete at the top again. Would Verstappen want to battle in the mid positions? I don’t think so. But with 2026 on the horizon, it could be another case of when Lewis Hamilton was wooed away from McLaren by Mercedes on the strength of promises in 2012.”

He draws a parallel with Hamilton’s transfer, stating:

“There was no evidence that Mercedes was going to dominate the sport then, but Hamilton was told of the plans and it was enough to convince him to leave a winning team with McLaren. Can Mercedes convince Verstappen of that? Nothing is impossible in F1. But my feeling is that Verstappen will stay at Red Bull next year.”

Recent tremors within Red Bull, such as the departure of their Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey and rumblings of internal discord following the investigation into team principal Christian Horner, have only fueled the rumors further. The rumors suggest that Mercedes, whose dominance alongside Lewis Hamilton has waned in recent seasons, is reportedly putting forth an unparalleled financial offer to Verstappen. At a staggering £128 million per year, this deal would not only make him the highest-paid driver in F1 history.