Sky Sports has just confirmed a shocking news in the F1 racing village: Max Verstappen is negotiating with Mercedes to join this racing team in the 2026 season. This has stirred up Paddock F1, because Verstappen is currently the world championship with four consecutive champions with Red Bull.
With Verstappen considering leaving Red Bull, this news is more and more surprised, especially when his contract with the racing team lasts until 2028. According to information from AMUS, there is a term in Verstappen’s contract that allows him to leave the team if not in the top 3 of the world championship. Currently, Verstappen ranks third with 155 points, only 9 points away from George Russell. This means that Red Bull is facing great pressure in the upcoming races to keep his championship home.
This change will create a transfer of unexpected riders in F1. If Verstappen really decides to join Mercedes, this team will have a first -class racer, while Red Bull will have to find a worthy replacement. This opens up a great opportunity for other teams to find talented riders for the future, especially when a big star like Verstappen leaves his racing team.
This change may change the F1 situation in the coming years. Mercedes is ready to approach Verstappen and bring him back to his racing team. These negotiations will surely attract the attention of the entire F1 community, and if confirmed, this will be a big turning point in the career of the Dutch driver as well as in the transfer market of F1.
