02/07/2025
NEWS STORY
Italian media - yes, we know - claims that deal that would see Max Verstappen partner Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes is as good as done.
Sky Italia claims that Toto Wolff has agreed the deal which now has to go before the Mercedes board.
Speculation over the possibility of Verstappen leaving Red Bull has been rife ever since the Horner-saga came to light in early 2024, however the resurgence of McLaren, and the ongoing struggles of the Austrian team, have caused it to intensify in recent weeks, a situation not helped by Mercedes failure to agree a new contract with George Russell.
Wolff has consistently praised Russell's performances this year and as recently as last week insisted that he will not play out negotiations in public. However, other than having allowed Verstappen to slip through his fingers before, the Austrian is fully aware what an asset would be to his team... any team, especially as Aston Martin is known to be interested.
"It's a lot of noise," insisted Horner in Austria. "I think Max gets quite annoyed by it," he told Sky Sports.
"We're very clear with the contract that we have with Max until 2028," he added. "So anything is entirely speculative that is said, but we tend not to pay too much attention to it.
"I can imagine that George is frustrated he hasn't been given a contract yet," he continued, "but that's between him and his team. The situation with Max, we know clearly where we're at and obviously so does Max. So everything is subject to noise and obviously within any contract it remains confidential between the parties."
However, other than an underperforming team/car - Verstappen has scored 155 of the team's 162 points this season - there is the fact that many high profile staff have left Red Bull in the last year or so, while there remains obvious uncertainty over the 2026 engine which is provided by Red Bull itself.
At the weekend, Helmut Marko was quick to dampen speculation that Verstappen's DNF might drive him over the edge.
"I assume people will use a race like this to stir things up," said the Austrian. "But Verstappen has a contract through 2028. Like all top drivers, there are performance-based exit clauses, but as things currently stand, there is absolutely no reason that this contract won't be fulfilled."
"When you look at the situation we have with Kimi and George, we have a perfect line-up that we very much enjoy and that we believe is the future," insisted Wolff last weekend. "But, at the same time, there is a four-time world champion that needs to decide what he is going to do in the future and that is just, as a team principal, you need to see where that is going.
"But I think I give it a very little probability that it's going to happen," he admitted. "Nothing needs in a way to come favourable for us, because with George and Kimi is what we want to be and what we want to continue," he added. "But in order to plan right for the long-term future you've got to understand what other people do.
"I don't want to be sadistic in letting a driver wait or not taking any decisions when it should be taken," he said, in reference to Russell. "So I feel we're in a good space.
"We're in June," he added. "Obviously there's lots of discussions around. I've been open with it and transparent. And at a certain stage in the next couple of months, until the summer break, we need to know. Until the summer break, everything is going to be done."