Max Verstappen has now seen a clear sign that he’s losing popularity amid McLaren F1 dominance

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Max Verstappen arrives at this weekend’s British Grand Prix 61 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. He’s already said he doesn’t expect to compete for the title this year.

Verstappen was already looking like an outsider in the title race after McLaren clearly built the best car. But he’s suffered two major points losses in the last three races.

In Barcelona, he was to blame as he squandered a potential P4 by causing a collision with George Russell. The resulting 10-second penalty left him with just one point.

And at the start of last weekend’s race in Austria, he was effectively taken out by the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. The rookie carries a three-place grid penalty into Silverstone as a result.

Max Verstappen couldn’t fill the F1 grandstand that he bought out

Speaking on his YouTube channel, F1 photographer Kym Illman addressed a reduction in the price of Verstappen’s Red Bull merchandise. Some had speculatively linked this to the Mercedes rumours.

But Illman believes there are two separate factors at play. The gear marked with the number one could be out of date by 2026 given that this honour is reserved for the reigning champion.

What’s more, Verstappen’s popularity has ‘dipped’ this year. This, Illman says, is evidenced by his failure to sell out his grandstand at the Red Bull Ring.

It looked sparse during the race, which could be attributed to his early retirement. But unsold sections were also closed off earlier in the weekend.

“A few people have suggested because, if you look at his merchandise page on his website, most of it is discounted,” Illman said. “Is he doing this because he’s going to Mercedes next year?

“I don’t think so, I think there are a couple of things at play here. One, his popularity has definitely dipped.

“That was evident in Austria last weekend when a large section of this grandstand, which is the Max Verstappen grandstand, were left unsold.

“Those seats were purchased by Max, or a related entity, for resale.

“The other factor is that Red Bull does not change their livery much, so Max fans don’t need to purchase his new gear every year.

“Last year’s can still pass as current, although next year that likely won’t be the case as it seems he won’t be winning the championship and will likely revert to number 33 instead of number one.”

Why some Mercedes staff are wary of signing Max Verstappen

It’s perhaps natural that fewer members of the Orange Army travelled to Austria. Verstappen had only won two of the first 10 races, so they knew a victory was unlikely.

A move to Mercedes would generate excitement and trepidation among his supporters. He’s been with Red Bull his entire career, but the Silver Arrows are rumoured to have the best engine for the revised 2026 regulations.

The Mercedes board still needs to approve the proposed move for Verstappen. They know he’s fast enough to compare with any all-time great, but can also be a magnet for controversy.

What’s more, Verstappen would be enormously expensive, with a potential nine-figure buyout piled on top of his salary. As the car company makes cutbacks, the optics may not sit right.