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Max Verstappen will only stay in Formula 1 if he can race for Mercedes, according to RTL reporter Felix Gorner. Verstappen is currently considering whether to retire at the end of 2026.
It became increasingly clear during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend that the risk of Verstappen walking away is genuine. If it was previously hoped that he would see out his Red Bull contract at the very least, even that outcome is now in doubt.
Laurent Mekies believes Verstappen’s frustrations are tied to Red Bull’s struggles, as he told ESPN: “We have a lot of work to do, but I’m sure by the time we give him a fast car, he will be a much happier Max.”
Would Max Verstappen be complaining about F1’s 2026 regulations if he had joined Mercedes?
Verstappen himself is adamant that he would be airing the same concerns if he were winning, but it’s still likely that being ninth in the championship with just 12 points has soured his view of the regulations.
Max Verstappen retains ‘strong’ ties with Mercedes as he decides F1 future
According to Gorner, who was writing for sport.de, Verstappen’s outlook on his F1 future is simple: ‘Mercedes or nothing’. If the dominant Silver Arrows don’t offer him a drive, he will vacate his Red Bull seat and leave the sport.
Verstappen has a three-month window to trigger his exit clause (August to October), depending on his position in the championship. It will apparently be in play if he’s outside the top two, which looks exceedingly likely.
Gorner has learned from ‘a reliable source’ Verstappen ‘wouldn’t even need to make a phone call’ to leave Red Bull in that scenario. His contract gives him ‘great freedom’.
If Max Verstappen retires from F1, who should Red Bull sign as his replacement?
Toto Wolff recently appeared to rule out Verstappen joining Mercedes in recognition of his drivers’ strong performances. Kimi Antonelli has claimed his first two F1 wins in successive races, while George Russell has already established himself as a champion-in-waiting.
But Gorner says these remarks are a facade. He writes that ‘there’s always a place for Verstappen at Mercedes‘ because his camp have ‘strong’ ties to Wolff.
Red Bull plan ‘frank discussions’ with Laurent Mekies during F1 break
Red Bull enter the extended break before the Miami GP in sixth place in the constructors’, level with Alpine and below Haas. While they have suffered two retirements in the opening three rounds, the car is currently midfield standard.
That much was clear in Suzuka, where Verstappen unsuccessfully battled Pierre Gasly after a stunning Q2 elimination.
While Red Bull recognised that 2026 would be a difficult year as they introduced their own power unit for the first time, team bosses still expected a greater return on their investment.
For that reason, they will hold ‘frank discussions’, some of them involving team principal Mekies, during the gap in the season. The Frenchman made an excellent start after replacing Christian Horner but already faces a tenure-defining challenge.
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