Max Verstappen has provided a telling update ahead of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix on rumours he could make a sensational switch to McLaren.
Rumours Verstappen could switch to McLaren surfaced at the Austrian GP, sending shockwaves throughout the paddock.
The deal, should it come off, would see Verstappen in a straight swap with Oscar Piastri, sending the Australian to Red Bull, with the target being 2027.
The timing of the speculation is significant. Verstappen’s current Red Bull contract runs beyond 2027, but a reputation clause inserted into the deal is understood to give him scope to leave should the team fall outside the top three in the constructors’ championship – a scenario that looked plausible earlier this season before Red Bull’s recent uptick in form.
Piastri, for his part, has said little publicly on the matter, choosing instead to let his driving do the talking as he continues to lead the drivers’ championship for McLaren. Any suggestion of a swap deal would represent a seismic shift in the driver market, given Piastri’s status as a genuine title contender and Verstappen’s long association with the Red Bull junior programme, which he has been part of since 2015.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown quickly moved to shut down the rumours ahead of the British GP, but speculation still persists that the secret talks were ongoing.
Verstappen addressed the speculation on media day in Silverstone, providing an update that did not fully shut down the potential for the seven-time world champion to make the switch.
“I’m not gonna involve myself in that,” he said to media, including Motorsport Week.
“I said what I wanted to say already before.
“If there’s something new or something that changes, you will hear it from me, not from someone else writing it, right?”
Max Verstappen not focused on McLaren
Verstappen then confirmed he remains focused on Red Bull, praising the team’s recent turnaround in performance that saw him take a stunning second placed finish in Austria.
“So I just focus on the job that I have with my team,” the 71-time grand prix winner added. “We are on the way up, so that’s really nice to see. I had a really positive weekend in Austria,” where he finished second, just 1.6 seconds behind Russell.
“We’re just trying to improve from there further, and I know, of course, it can be quite tough; there’s a lot of competition, but we’re here just to try and go faster.”
Red Bull’s improved form in Austria will have done little to quiet talk of a switch, but it does suggest Verstappen has reason to believe the team can close the gap to McLaren without needing to jump ship. Team principal Christian Horner has similarly downplayed the rumours in recent weeks, insisting the focus remains on development rather than driver market speculation.
With Silverstone historically a stronghold for Verstappen, all eyes will now turn to whether he can back up his words with results this weekend – and whether the paddock chatter dies down, or intensifies further, as the summer break approaches.
Discussion about this post