How Verstappen’s McLaren move could hinge on Piastri’s F1 future

Max Verstappen’s battle with Oscar Piastri is no longer just about fifth in the Drivers’ Championship – it could determine whether the reigning world champion ends up in a McLaren next season.

After all, Verstappen has already ticked the first box that would allow him to leave Red Bull as he cannot mathematically sit P2 in the standings on the Monday heading into the summer break with his deficit up to 78 points with only 50 in play.

Max Verstappen’s McLaren future linked to Oscar Piastri contract

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But Verstappen, despite four world titles and 71 Grand Prix victories, needs more than just his reputation to secure a seat with another of Formula 1’s top teams.

Verstappen’s relationship with Red Bull suffered a huge blow at the British Grand Prix where the driver did not hold back on his criticism of the team’s performance.

Verstappen lined up seventh on the Silverstone grid, but failed to score a point after an issue with his Macarena rear wing sent him spinning into the gravel on Lap 48.

Already unhappy with his RB22 in qualifying, the Dutch racer said he did “not know” why the team denied his request for a pit lane start and made it clear that he “would have done it differently”.

Quizzed on whether it had strained his relationship with the team, he replied: “It would be a very Zen person to be optimistic at the moment with what happened again this weekend. I’m sorry, but it’s just like that.”

As for his future and those McLaren rumours, he said: “I’m not going to say anything about that. It’s not fair to say anything about that right now.”

And so, the Max Verstappen to McLaren speculation gained momentum.

After Mercedes team principal, and long-time Max Verstappen fan, Toto Wolff called time on his interest in the Dutchman as he declared he did “not want to change things”, Formula 1’s rumour mill threw McLaren into the mix.

Multiple paddock sources have suggested to PlanetF1.com that McLaren and Verstappen are in the closing stages of a lengthy negotiation.

The outcome, though, could rest with Piastri.

The Australian racer is vulnerable after falling outside of the top five in the Drivers’ standings as he is subject to a performance clause.

However, sources close to Piastri have described that to Fox Sports as “purely speculative”.

Piastri, himself, believes he is safe.

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“I’ve got a contract in place,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media at Silverstone. “I’ve had multiple reassurances that the team are very happy with me, and I’m very happy with the team.

“So for me, I’m very happy where I am, happy with the situation I’m in, and I’m just trying to continue the success that we’ve had in the last few years.”

That, though, has done nothing to silence the rumours.

What is clear is that while Verstappen has the numbers in the standings on his side that would allow him to leave Red Bull, he isn’t guaranteed a seat with another top team.

After all, Ferrari’s line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc is locked in, so too are Kimi Antonelli and George Russell at Mercedes according to Wolff, and McLaren has Lando Norris and Piastri.

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle says Verstappen needs someone to somehow give up their seat.

“I think if he could go, he will go at some point, whether it’s 2027 or 2028, and do something fresh for him,” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1.

“We see drivers do that. We saw Lewis Hamilton do that, for example, and get a reset and a new challenge after a very long time in a team.

“The problem Max has got is that there are only three teams he can look at – Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes – and they all seem very, very locked in to their current driver line-ups for at least 2027, and quite often, way beyond.”

But as Verstappen contemplates his options, there’s one, according to Ralf Schumacher, that is now untenable – remaining at Red Bull.

“The biggest topic this weekend was of course Red Bull,” he told Sky Deutschland. “With regard to Max Verstappen, I have the feeling that the rumours are getting stronger and stronger.

“There is a lot of talk in the paddock that it seems as though the relationship, the proverbial curtain between the parties, has torn quite significantly.

“According to the stories I have heard, Red Bull’s management left early. There are also reports that they held it against Verstappen that, at the Red Bull Ring, when everyone [Red Bull management] was present, that he did not make it clear that he would not be activating his escape clause.”

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