Verstappen Advised To Consider Mercedes Switch Amid Recent Developments

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 at 18:00

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos said he believes Max Verstappen should and will go to Mercedes soon.

Since the drama between his father and Christian Horner surfaced, Max Verstappen has been connected with a potential move to Mercedes.

It is understood that if it were his father's choice, the Dutchman would leave for Mercedes at the end of 2025. However, it isn't that simple.

The triple World Champion doesn't seem too keen on making the move and has said multiple times that he is happy with his current position in the team from Milton Keynes.

It also didn't make sense for a World Champion like him to go to Mercedes for a long time, as the German team didn't look competitive.

However, that has recently changed as Mercedes qualified in first and second place for the British Grand Prix and then went on to win this most recent race. Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos told motorsport.com:

"Since Mercedes didn't have a competitive car earlier in the year, it was a 'no brainer' for Max to stay with Red Bull next year, who were still quite dominant at that time. But that has suddenly changed."

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"There is simply a lot going on behind the scenes at Red Bull, and at the same time, you see Mercedes becoming increasingly competitive. That team is on a serious streak."

The 2026 season (the year of new regulations) was previously identified as the ideal window for Verstappen's potential transfer to a different team (if Red Bull wasn't able to produce a competitive car).

However, the former F1 drive suggests we might see the 26-year-old Red Bull Racing driver changing teams even sooner than that.

"I still believe he will go to Mercedes. We talk about 2026, because it's important to be with the team with the best engine."

"But I think Mercedes would rather have it happen in 2025, because then they can wave goodbye to one World Champion and welcome another World Champion."