Raymond Vermeulen, manager of Max Verstappen, is observing from a distance all the speculations and stories about Verstappen’s contract situation and Mercedes’ serious interest. He is not present this weekend in Silverstone, where the British GP is scheduled for Sunday. His absence, however, had been planned for some time. “Some things I read are really far from reality,” he states.
Vermeulen emphasizes that he and Verstappen are primarily pushing for an improvement in the performance of the car, the RB21. “That’s where our focus lies. We have a contract with Red Bull and are committed, as we have been for eleven years. We now mainly want the performance to return. And quickly too. Max wants to get the best out of the material he has at his disposal but we also realize that the championship is no longer within reach,” says Vermeulen.
Having said that, Raymond Vermeulen also understands that there is a lot of attention in the paddock for Max Verstappen’s contract situation and Mercedes’ interest. The fact that there has been contact with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, Vermeulen describes as ‘not so shocking’. “In Formula 1, everyone talks to each other. It’s logical that we also talk to Toto, just as it’s logical that we also talk to A, B, C, and D. That we occasionally have a cup of coffee, I don’t find that so shocking, but now a whole media circus is being made of it. On the other hand, that’s just Formula 1. One time the hype is about Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, then again about Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, and now it’s Max’s turn again and his potential performance clauses. It’s a kind of pressure cooker, a pile-up of messages and speculations that climax in an F1 weekend that is not reality.”
Possibility of ‘Nothing Happening’
There is rampant speculation in the F1 world about the various performance clauses in Verstappen’s contract, which could potentially allow him to exit his commitment with Red Bull that runs until 2028. Vermeulen says, “I’m not exactly sure where this is coming from, but there’s a lot of talk about the performance clauses that may or may not be triggered during the summer period. The question still remains what will or will not happen. Perhaps nothing will happen. That wouldn’t be strange in itself. It has happened before that performance clauses were triggered and then things settled down. But we can’t provide a hundred percent clarity about next year at this moment, no. Nobody can.”
At Mercedes, George Russell still has no certainty about his sporting future. Russell’s contract expires after this season. Any contract extension seems to depend on whether or not Verstappen can be enticed to make a switch. Toto Wolff has indicated in relation to Russell that he wants to provide clarity during the summer break or shortly thereafter. Vermeulen comments on this, “I understand Toto’s statement. That’s how the dynamics of Formula 1 work. But again, we are mainly pushing for the performance of the car this year.”
