Max Verstappen closes in on alleged McLaren decision in rumoured Red Bull exit

Multiple paddock sources have suggested that McLaren and Max Verstappen are in the closing stages of a lengthy negotiation for the Dutch driver to swap from Red Bull, despite the apparent shutdown of the rumours by CEO Zak Brown.

Verstappen is at the epicentre of the driver market, and sources have indicated the Dutch driver is allegedly poised to make a decision on whether to make a switch to McLaren as negotiations surrounding details of a potential contract are finalised.

Max Verstappen and McLaren contract talks explained

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Verstappen’s rear wing failure at Silverstone on Sunday, and consequent lack of points scoring, means that it is no longer mathematically possible for him to be in the top two positions in the Drivers’ Championship by the summer break.

It is widely believed that Verstappen needs to be in the top two positions in order for him not to be able to activate his escape clause, which would allow him the freedom to explore options elsewhere on the grid despite his existing contract that is in place until the conclusion of the F1 2028 season.

In June, Verstappen travelled to Red Bull’s headquarters in Austria to hold talks with the senior shareholders of the company, including Mark Mateschitz from the Austrian minority, and Chalerm Yoovidhya from the majority Thai side – Yoovidhya having made a rare trip from Dubai in order to engage with Verstappen as Red Bull sought reassurances from him that he will remain at the team in 2027.

PlanetF1.com understands that Red Bull was seeking to buy Verstappen out of his escape clause, to write out the option from his arrangement, but the Dutch driver refused this.

As reported by Dutch publication De Limburger, and corroborated by PlanetF1.com, this refusal is said to have angered Red Bull as its star driver keeps them dangling on commitment.

It’s understood that the situation has devolved to the point that an angered Mateschitz has indicated a desire to sever ties, although this stance is not believed to be shared by CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, who is eager to retain Verstappen until 2030.

A sticking point in the matter is believed to be on the topic of loyalty: Red Bull feeling it has done enough to earn greater loyalty from Verstappen, given the freedom and salary he has been afforded during his decade with the senior team, while his camp is said to have lost faith in the team despite the changes made in upper management last year following the dismissal of former team principal and CEO Christian Horner.

But, with more personnel having left the team, other senior departures are imminent: Paul Monaghan is understood to be on gardening leave ahead of an expected switch to Cadillac, while GianPiero Lambiase is set to vacate his role as the team’s head of racing and Verstappen’s race engineer after this season, in order to join McLaren after a period of gardening leave.

These personnel changes, and the dissolution of the ‘family’ environment that had existed, are said to have resonated with Verstappen, who joined the squad as a teenager in 2016.

With Verstappen closing in on the date upon which his escape clause activates, believed to be the day following the Hungarian Grand Prix later this month, the report from De Limburger is that a sabbatical year from Verstappen, or perhaps even a full retirement, cannot be fully ruled out.

A switch to Mercedes now appears off the table, with the Brackley-based squad set to stick with an unchanged line-up of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but a rumour that refuses to go away is that of a switch to McLaren, which was first reported by British publications last month, despite insistence last week from CEO Zak Brown that both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s names are “engraved” on their seats.

At Silverstone, PlanetF1.com asked Brown what could tempt Verstappen about the McLaren team, and what his squad might have that Red Bull cannot give him.

“I haven’t really thought about that because I’ve got two drivers in the seats,” Brown said.

“So, what I couldn’t offer him was a seat in my race car. But I think McLaren’s an awesome team. So is Red Bull, and so is Alpine, and so is Ferrari. The Formula 1 teams are amazing.

“I think we’ve got a unique environment, but as do all race teams. But we’ve got a great race team that’s had a lot of success, and I think it’s a good place to work, whether you’re a racing driver or a team principal or a mechanic, or whatever you may be at Team McLaren.”

The current understanding is that it’s Oscar Piastri’s seat that is the one in question, with Lando Norris’s seat secure as the reigning F1 World Champion. Piastri finished third in last season’s title charge, with his bid faltering in the final third of the season after having been in a commanding lead after the Dutch Grand Prix.

Commenting on the rumours himself last weekend, Piastri said, “For me, it doesn’t mean much. Obviously Max is the talent he is, and looking around. I’m very happy with where I am.

“I’ve been told multiple times that the team are happy with me and I trust them. So, for me, it doesn’t really mean much. A contract is in place as well. I’m just trying to build on the success I’ve had.”

But, while that may have been the case at the time, Piastri’s slipping to sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship after Silverstone is said to make him vulnerable to a contractual option on McLaren’s side, and Verstappen’s discussions with McLaren regarding the seat currently occupied by the Australian are said to have advanced significantly – to the point where prominent sources have suggested a deal, believed to initially be for three years, is “imminent”.

Indeed, some sources even suggested that Red Bull was primed from its side to make a driver announcement this week – the implication being that of a Verstappen decision being made.

Aside from McLaren’s competitive level, which is currently quite similar to Red Bull’s, the attraction of the Woking-based squad would likely be in the strength of its overall personnel and technical department, including the chance to reunite with former Red Bull colleague Rob Marshall, now the team’s chief technical officer and designer. Verstappen could also be reunited with Lambiase, who is set to take up the role of director of racing, although paddock whispers suggest he is set to take on the role of team principal as a succession plan for when Andrea Stella moves on in the future.

There is also the fact that McLaren’s racing activities encompass far more than just Formula 1, potentially giving the Dutch driver the opportunity to compete at hypercar level in World Endurance Championship events.

Officially, the door is shut on a potential Verstappen move, but, when approached by PlanetF1.com, multiple sources have failed to rule out the possibility of a deal being reached. But sources close to Piastri insist there is no reason for concern on his side, given the existence of a contract and the comments from Brown last week.

But the existence of a contract doesn’t always mean certainty for a driver. While different circumstances due to his ongoing struggles, in 2022, McLaren bought Daniel Ricciardo out of his seat as the Australian held a contract for ’23, with the two sides holding amicable discussions to ease Ricciardo out – opening the door for Piastri’s arrival in the first place.

Should the rumours play out as accurate and Verstappen does end up signing for McLaren, the most likely outcome for Piastri would be that of a straight swap as the Red Bull seat becomes available.

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