Stay or leave?
The future of Max Verstappen continues to be the central focus of the Formula 1 driver market and will remain so until the Dutch champion decides what to do in 2027. The options on the table are three: staying at Red Bull, leaving the Circus to focus on other categories, or a team change. The four-time world champion is, in fact, still linked, month after month, to almost half the grid.
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The recent announcement of the hiring by McLaren of Verstappen’s long-time race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase – who will join the Woking team no later than 2028 – has added the papaya team to the list of contenders for the Dutch superstar. CEO Zak Brown, in an interview with Sky Sport UK, however, ruled out that Lambiase’s arrival was intended to ‘attract’ Verstappen.
“From McLaren’s point of view, I couldn’t be happier with Lando and Oscar – Brown said – we have long-term agreements with them and I think they form the best driver pairing on the grid, both on and off the track, so we have no intention of replacing either of our two stars. Obviously, if one of them were to leave, yes, Max is an enormous talent, but I don’t foresee that happening“.
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Mercedes favorite
However, Brown did not shy away from making a prediction about what the fate of the four-time world champion might be, betting on the option that has been most talked about and written about in recent years, namely the ‘move to Toto Wolff’s court’: “Where could he go? If I had to bet, I’d say Mercedes”, the McLaren CEO declared. Kimi Antonelli and especially George Russell have been warned…
