How much Red Bull insiders believe Max Verstappen would have to pay to break his contract to join Mercedes

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Rumours surrounding Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull and his proposed move to Mercedes are heating up as the four-time champion considers his next move in Formula 1.

The Austrian Grand Prix sparked further speculation about the Dutchman, as Toto Wolff and George Russell confirmed that Mercedes are in talks with Verstappen over a potential deal. The Silver Arrows are yet to tie down the Brit or Kimi Antonelli for next season.

Verstappen was hit by Antonelli at turn four of the first lap and retired on the spot. Red Bull suffered a disaster and scored no points on home soil, which did nothing to help the rumours surrounding their star driver.

Verstappen may have already said ‘goodbye’ to Red Bull as he appeared relaxed as ever and waved to the fans after the crash. These theories are backed up by reports suggesting that Verstappen has ‘said yes’ to Mercedes and a proposal from Wolff.

The move needs approval from the Brackley-based outfit’s board, but there is also the significant issue of Verstappen’s Red Bull contract that needs to be resolved.

Red Bull insiders believe Max Verstappen would have to pay ‘nine figures’ to break his contract

Verstappen is contracted until 2028 at the Milton Keynes outfit, giving him one of the longest deals on the F1 grid. Verstappen can activate an exit clause after the Austrian GP, with rumours suggesting that he is free to leave if he is not in the top two of the championship – he is currently third.

With three-and-a-half years still to run on his contract, journalist Craig Slater revealed that Red Bull insiders believe Verstappen would have to pay a nine-figure sum to break his contract and make a move to Mercedes.

Slater was discussing the rumour with Martin Brundle via Sky Sports: “The sort of internal discussion you sketched there with the Red Bull hierarchy about losing Verstappen or keeping an unhappy Max Verstappen.

“And then also this idea which has been expressed to me from a team insider that it would cost in excess of nine figures, so £100 million plus, for Max to buy his way out of his deal.

“Do you force that or do you come to some kind of arrangement, bit like in football, if a player wants away, normally they get away.”

Verstappen earns £47m-a-year at Red Bull, rising to £59m, which would see him receive at least £141m over the next three seasons after 2025. With that substantial sum, it is no surprise that the Milton Keynes outfit would require a similar figure for the 27-year-old to leave.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Max Verstappen is being very clever about his talks with Mercedes after approaching Toto Wolff

Red Bull will be desperate to keep Verstappen on board amid their current struggles. The Dutchman is carrying the team on his back, as Yuki Tsunoda has only scored seven points in the second car, leaving them fourth in the standings.

But the 27-year-old is seriously considering his future. Verstappen contacted Wolff for a ‘chat about the future’, with Mercedes being tipped to have the fastest engine under the new technical regulations.

There are doubts surrounding Red Bull’s power unit, which they will introduce in collaboration with Ford in 2026. But Verstappen doesn’t think Mercedes will be fastest, as he claims the peak performance of the manufacturers will be relatively equal.

Verstappen is not expected to leave Red Bull until 2027, as he is set to wait and see how competitive the field is. This is a genius move from the Dutchman; he can properly assess Red Bull and Mercedes in 2026 and then make a final decision on his future in F1.