In terms of Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has made a bold forecast: the three-time World Champion will depart Red Bull after the 2025 season.
Brown believes Verstappen will head to Mercedes in a bid to align himself with the engine builder he feels is best placed to handle the changes that are coming as the sport prepares for the significant regulatory overhaul in 2026.
A Mercedes Future for Verstappen?
Verstappen is now looking to win a record fifth successive World Championship in 2025. But McLaren has already demonstrated that it is a force to be reckoned with, and its performance in Australia was impressive. Lando Norris gave a glimpse of McLaren’s capability by dominating qualifying and holding off Verstappen in a dramatic wet-race finish.
Although passing the line only a fraction of a second behind Norris, Verstappen conceded that the Red Bull RB21 is not quite up to standard yet to ensure regular wins. With the season continuing with the Chinese Grand Prix on the agenda next, the Dutchman is still wary of his car’s potential.
Looking back at his performance in Australia, Verstappen conceded: “I think it’s good relative to the teams behind us, but if you look at the first stint, we were quite a bit off.
“As soon as the tyres began to overheat, we had no chance. McLaren just took off.”
“So, we still have a lot of work to do to fight for a win.”.
But sure, I’m glad that we are second here. It’s effectively a spot better than where we were probably going to be [due to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri spinning out of P2]. And it’s 18 points more than I had this time last year.
For most of the present ground-effect era, Verstappen and Red Bull had been the team to beat. But Red Bull’s hold on the top began to slip last season, with Verstappen suffering a rare winless run of 10 races. This change in form naturally spawned rumors about his future with the team.
Red Bull’s senior advisor Helmut Marko and principal Christian Horner have both admitted that Verstappen’s deal contains a performance-related clause, further stoking uncertainty. It has generated growing speculation about his potential exit, with Mercedes and Aston Martin now being cited as the most likely targets.
While Verstappen’s camp has not officially confirmed, there has been a bet placed by Brown that Mercedes will hire Verstappen for the 2026 season. Mercedes’ proven record of adapting to regulation changes could make them an attractive proposition for the Dutchman, particularly in the wake of the significant engine regulatory changes that are set to come into place.
Verstappen’s future choices will largely be determined by the coming seasons since the Formula 1 landscape will experience a radical shift in 2026. A partnership between Verstappen and Mercedes could change the sport’s dynamics if Brown’s prophecy is realized.
