Verstappen's Deal With Mercedes 'Getting Quite Close' Says Three-Time Grand Prix Winner
F1Wednesday, 20 March 2024 at 15:00
Former F1 driver Johny Herbert said he has heard that Max Verstappen's potential deal with Mercedes is "getting quite close."
The situation at Red Bull has been tense for a few weeks now, and Max Verstappen has found himself in the middle of everything despite not wanting to take part in it.
The Dutchman just wants to focus on racing, but his father and Helmut Marko (two people inside Red Bull who are close to the 26-year-old) are clearly involved in the power struggle.
The Dutchman said his focus was purely on performances, but when Marko's future in the team was at stake, he stepped in and warned he might leave the team as well.
Former F1 driver Johny Herbert suggested the whole drama inside the team isn't doing Red Bull any good. He was quoted by The Sun as saying:
"It's not a good thing for F1 with the whole thing going on and the belated heat on it. It doesn't help the situation for Red Bull, which has the best driver in the world at the present time."
The triple World Champion's departure would be a significant blow for the Milton Keynes team. While Red Bull has the dominant car at the moment, 19 out of the last 20 races were won by Verstappen.
Even though Christian Horner asserted no person in Red Bull is bigger than the team, the Dutchman has been essential in delivering the results that made the Austrian team so successful.
Things seemed to calm down for a while after the end of the second race weekend of the 2024 season, but Herbert now suggested he heard that Verstappen's deal with Mercedes is getting "quite close."
"And they're very close to pushing [Max Verstappen] out of the team, I've heard they are getting quite close with the deal with Mercedes."
At this point in time, it is still unimaginable that the triple World Champion would abandon the team that offers him the dominant car.
When Mercedes' team principal Wolff was asked some time ago about whether he would like the 26-year-old Red Bull driver on his team, he responded: "There is no team up and down the grid who wouldn't do handstands to have him in their car."
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