Max Verstappen insider issues Mercedes update after ‘final contract details’ claim
Is Max Verstappen eyeing George Russell's Mercedes seat for F1 2026?
Nelson Piquet Jr, the brother in law of Max Verstappen, has seemingly backtracked on his claim that the Red Bull driver will be with Mercedes for the F1 2026 season.
And he has raised the theory that Red Bull sacked team principal Christian Horner in a bid to convince the reigning four-time World Champion to stay for next season.
Max Verstappen to Mercedes? Nelson Piquet Jr provides latest update
Despite being officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of the F1 2028 campaign, Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move away from the team at the end of this year.
Horner, the recently departed Red Bull team boss, confirmed to media including PlanetF1.com last year that Verstappen’s deal contains a “performance element” that could allow him to leave before 2028.
It is believed that Verstappen will be able to activate an exit clause if he is lower than fourth in the Drivers’ standings following next weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before F1’s summer break.
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Verstappen currently holds third in the championship with an 18-point advantage over George Russell, the driver he would most likely replace at Mercedes.
Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver, sits a further 28 points back in fifth place.
It was claimed last week that Ola Kallenius, the Mercedes chief executive, has approved Verstappen’s proposed move to Mercedes for F1 2026.
Piquet Jr, the former Renault F1 driver and brother of Verstappen’s partner Kelly Piquet, recently let slip that Verstappen is highly likely to start next season as a Mercedes driver.
The Brazilian claimed that Verstappen was “just missing final contract details” on a deal to replace Russell, with a final decision expected to be made next month.
In a fresh update, Piquet Jr appeared less convinced that Verstappen is Mercedes bound for next season, even raising the possibility that the 27-year-old has “already said no” to Toto Wolff.
Appearing on the Pelas Pistas podcast, he said: “Max just wants to be where he thinks he can win.
“Does money play a role? Of course, but the most important factor is that he wants to be in a good car.
“The only two choices he has are Red Bull and Mercedes.
“Maybe they sent Horner away to get him [Max] to stay? I don’t know.
“Maybe he’s already signed [for Mercedes], but maybe he’s also already said no.”
Rumours online in the aftermath of the recent British Grand Prix claimed that Verstappen and Wolff met in Sardinia in an apparent attempt to seal a deal for F1 2026.
However, it is unclear if a meeting between the pair actually took place.
Piquet Jr went on to play down the significance of the pair being in Sardinia at the same time, adding: “That’s just a place where people go on holiday.”
Mercedes’ preparations for the new F1 2026 rules – which will see the sport embrace 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics – are widely believed to be advanced.
The Silver Arrows previously emerged as F1’s dominant force following the introduction of the V6-hybrid engine rules in 2014, winning a record eight consecutive Constructors’ championships and seven Drivers’ titles split between Lewis Hamilton (2014-15 and 2017-20) and Nico Rosberg (2016).
Next season will see Red Bull produce its own engines for the first time via its newly established Powertrains division, working in collaboration with Ford as current supplier Honda switches to Aston Martin.
A report in April claimed that only one manufacturer – strongly believed to be Mercedes – is in ‘good shape’ for F1 2026 with every other manufacturer struggling with the development of their new power units to some degree.
Two manufacturers are thought to be ‘a long way behind’ the clear pacesetters, with another struggling with an uncompetitive engine having elected for a different form of biofuel compared to its rivals, which have all opted for synthetic fuel.
Little is known about the progress of the final unnamed manufacturer.
More on Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing from PlanetF1.com
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at the British Grand Prix, just days before his departure was announced, Horner conceded that Red Bull Powertrains is highly unlikely to produce a more competitive engine than Mercedes at the first attempt in F1 2026.
Yet he insisted that Red Bull remains the right place for Verstappen to be over the long term with an in-house engine facility giving the team a significant competitive boost.
Horner said: “Things go in cycles and sport goes in cycles.
“We’ve had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula 1 and what we want to do is build towards the next cycle.
“Of course, we want that to be with Max, but we understand the pressure that there is next year with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer.
“The challenge of that is enormous. But we’ve got a hugely capable group of people. We’ve invested significantly. We’ve got a great culture within the team.
“Who knows? To expect us to be ahead of Mercedes next year is [unrealistic].
“It would be embarrassing for Mercedes if we were, or for any manufacturer.
“But I think we’re going to be in a competitive position, potentially even to where we are today relative to our other PU manufacturers.
“There’s everything to play for. What’s great is having it all under one roof; chassis engineers sitting next to engine engineers.
“That shouldn’t be underestimated when you’re talking about the packaging.
“When you’ve got the ability to have those groups communicating and talking with each other directly over a cup of coffee and within the same facility, that is priceless and that will pay dividends.
“Maybe it won’t be in ’26, but ’27, ’28, and beyond, long term for Red Bull, 100 per cent it is the right thing.”
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