Max Verstappen has now set off ‘alarm bells’ as Red Bull learn what he’s ‘considering’ before the Austrian Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen is the most successful F1 driver in the all-time history of the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Red Bull racer winning his team’s home event four times thus far.

The Dutchman has triumphed at the Red Bull Ring in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023 to date and was also in the fight to win in the 2024 Austrian GP. But his hopes to pull further clear as the only driver with more than three Austrian GP wins ended when Verstappen hit Lando Norris.

Red Bull saw their bid for a fifth home victory go up in smoke on Lap 64 of 71 last year when Verstappen crashed into Norris fighting for the lead of the 2024 Austrian GP at Turn 3, which gifted glory to George Russell of Mercedes. Russell was 15.457s behind prior to the incident.

Last year’s race in the foothills of the Styrian Alps would have also been Verstappen and Red Bull’s sixth all-time victory at the circuit that the team owns. As well as the 27-year-old’s four Austrian GP wins so far, Verstappen won the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in 2021.

Red Bull fear the 2025 Austrian GP is Max Verstappen’s last with them, as he considers joining Mercedes

Verstappen must now have a clean weekend at the 2025 Austrian GP to avoid being banned for the British Grand Prix. He loses the two penalty points for crashing into Norris in Austria last year on June 30, but Verstappen sits one penalty point away from a race ban until then.

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There are also now fears at Red Bull that the 2025 Austrian GP will be Verstappen’s last time racing at their circuit with the Milton Keynes-based squad. That is according to OE24, which reports that ‘alarm bells’ are ringing at Red Bull that Verstappen might leave after this term.

Verstappen has a £47m a year contract with Red Bull, before bonuses, through the 2028 F1 season after signing the deal back in March 2022. Yet he can break out of the deal if the 27-year-old sits outside of the top three in the 2025 F1 drivers’ standings at the summer break.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is fully aware of the risk of Verstappen quitting the team, with the four-time defending F1 champion ‘considering’ a move to Mercedes for next season. Neither Russell nor Andrea Kimi Antonelli is under contract to Mercedes for 2026.

Toto Wolff remains keen to sign Max Verstappen if the four-time champion leaves Red Bull

If Verstappen were to leave Red Bull and join Mercedes next term, he would be expected to replace Russell rather than 2025 rookie wonderkid Antonelli. It has long been expected that Russell will sign a new £46m two-year contract for Mercedes, yet he remains on the market.

Silver Arrows team principal Toto Wolff remains on the charm offensive to sign Verstappen, too, as the Mercedes chief fears missing out on the Dutchman again. Russell could even be key to Verstappen leaving Red Bull, with the Briton 19 points behind in the 2025 standings.

Verstappen is only third in the standings ahead of the Austrian GP with 155 points so far, 43 fewer points than leader Oscar Piastri and 21 fewer than Norris in second. Russell sits fourth after the first 10 rounds with 136 points, and there are four rounds until the summer break.