Max Verstappen has ‘already entered into negotiations’ with rival F1 team over 2026 Red Bull fears

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Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull Racing is set to be one of the biggest talking points of the 2026 season.

Red Bull fans and staff would have been relieved when Max Verstappen revealed he would be staying with the team for at least one more season earlier this year.

Verstappen’s contract runs until 2028, but it also contains various clauses that could allow him to make an early exit if certain conditions aren’t met.

Every team in the paddock would be keen on signing the Dutchman if he became available, with even new Audi team boss Jonathan Wheatley suggesting he would love to hire Verstappen if the opportunity arose.

That scenario seems very unlikely at this stage unless the German team suddenly propel themselves to the front of the grid next year when F1’s new regulations are introduced.

Now, there are already suggestions that Verstappen’s team might be looking beyond 2026 in case Red Bull are no longer in a position to challenge for championships.

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Max Verstappen has ‘already entered into negotiations’ with Mercedes as Red Bull fallback option

A report from the Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport has shared more details about next season’s driver market.

The focus has already shifted to next year and beyond in Italy given Ferrari’s current struggles, with Charles Leclerc linked with a move to Aston Martin.

However, the report suggests that Verstappen will be at the centre of whatever happens in the driver market given his superiority over the rest of the grid.

Gazzetta believes that Verstappen has ‘already entered into negotiations’ with Mercedes and ‘could be tempted’ to switch allegiances.

This all hinges on how competitive Red Bull and Mercedes end up being next season, with much of the focus on each team’s power unit.

Verstappen has been courted by Mercedes for some time, and many people are talking up their chances in 2026 and beyond.

Whether Verstappen’s camp need to start preparing for that eventuality now is another matter, but after Toto Wolff recently signed up Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell to new contracts, the Dutchman’s availability would give him another difficult conundrum to solve.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Mercedes rumours about their 2026 chances will continue to fuel Max Verstappen speculation

For a long time, people in the paddock have suggested that Mercedes could have the best engine in 2026.

With so much emphasis on how important the power unit will be next year, that would naturally give Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and Alpine an advantage.

Verstappen has played down rumours about Mercedes’ potential dominance, but Red Bull will know that they’re in a precarious position right now.

Although they have recruited heavily from Mercedes and other rivals, the Red Bull Powertrains project is still the team’s first effort, alongside Ford, when it comes to creating their own engine.

Verstappen has been impressed by Red Bull Powertrains on a recent visit, but without any context on what he should be comparing it to, it’s hard to know where they stand in the pecking order.

The first few races of 2026 are going to provide a fascinating insight into how the next few Formula 1 seasons play out.

They might also determine where Verstappen will be racing in 2027 and beyond if his team are already starting to put future plans into place.