Former F1 driver and FIA steward Johnny Herbert is convinced that Max Verstappen is set on a mid-season switch from Red Bull to Mercedes. According to Herbert, the sporting prospects at his current team are worrying, while Mercedes can paint a very positive picture, especially regarding the development of the engine for next year. “That would be the golden nugget you dangle in front of Max. And he would be amazed at what he is being told.”
Herbert writes in his column on a betting platform that Verstappen will undoubtedly be very well informed about the development of the new engine for next season at Red Bull. With the departure of current engine supplier Honda, Red Bull has chosen to develop the engine for 2026, when the new engine regulations in Formula 1 come into effect, themselves with Red Bull Powertrains, supported by Ford.
Herbert: “The rumors are that things are not going well. And at the same time, rumors are that Mercedes is doing very well. Max wants to put himself in a position where he has the best chance of winning. He is frustrated because Red Bull cannot give him what he wants. Moreover, many people have left and things are still happening behind the scenes.”
‘Max thinks: ‘I need to get out of here’
According to him, a potential transfer of Max Verstappen to Red Bull would be comparable to the way Mercedes lured Lewis Hamilton away from McLaren in 2013. Then too, the prospect of new engine regulations played a significant role. Herbert: “The discussions that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and Max have had probably look very much like the conversations Niki Lauda had with Lewis when he was taken from McLaren and came to Mercedes. I think Mercedes has shown Max what they have and what they think they will have next year, which is probably the car to beat. That would be the golden nugget you dangle in front of Max. And he would be amazed at what he is being told.”
Herbert continues: “Max thinks: ‘I need to get out of here’. And the more things happen in the background, the more he thinks: ‘I need to move on. I need to find a place that gives me what I need’. At Red Bull, with the engine program they have, that will take time. And time is not always what an F1 driver has on his side.”
