Veteran F1 commentator and pundit David Croft has given his thoughts about the rumors linking Max Verstappen to Mercedes. While the Briton does not believe that the #1 driver would jump ship from Milton-Keynes to Brackley, he does add a caveat to that statement. Croft explained that only knowledge of Mercedes’ incoming 2026 engine could possibly lure the 26-year-old away from Red Bull.
PlanetF1 quoted him as saying, “I really don’t see Max leaving, unless, and here’s the caveat, unless he knows, and how he knows, I don’t know how anyone knows, that the Mercedes engine in 2026 is going to be like in Mercedes engine in 2014.”
Max Verstappen’s response to a hypothetical €250 million offer from Mercedes:
“250 million? No. I’m happy with what I’m earning already. If you’re driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone and Toto knows that.”… pic.twitter.com/eLKuQypCEG
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) May 3, 2024
The rumors linking Verstappen to the Silver Arrows began against the backdrop of a reported internal power struggle between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko along with Verstappen’s father, Jos, at Red Bull. That being said, even Max himself has refuted any possibility of the move happening.
Recently, Max shut the door on the move completely when he refused a hypothetical $200 million offer from Toto Wolff. Hinting at Mercedes’ lack of performance in the ground-effect era of the sport, he said, “It’s always about performances at the end of the day,” as quoted by Total-Motorport.com.
While Max has refused to entertain any offers from Mercedes, the recent developments at Red Bull mean that his future with them still remains undecided.
Is Max Verstappen going to retire from Formula 1?
Ever since the Christian Horner saga came to light, there have been reports of inner turmoil within Red Bull. While, from the outside, the team has refuted these rumors, Adrian Newey’s departure has exposed the cracks within the team.
Newey’s exit signifies more than just the loss of F1’s greatest designer. Newey could be the first of the dominoes that fall at Red Bull. This uncertainty within the camp could be playing in the mind of Max Verstappen who has already made the conditions of his future with Red Bull clear.
️ | Adrian Newey on room for improvement in RB20
“There’s always room for improvement. This car is the third evolution of the 2022 car under this rule set, we got one more year before the huge change in 2026.
We’re always searching for little bits and pieces but the… pic.twitter.com/EZHwuheK1f
— RBR News (@redbulletin) May 10, 2024
Verstappen has expressly said that a peaceful environment is crucial for him to be able to continue with the team. That looks like a far-fetched dream as of now. Moreover, the Miami GP also showcased how Red Bull have seemingly lost ground in terms of their pace advantage over their rivals.
As things stand, Verstappen is missing both the criteria he requires to remain in F1: performance and peace. With it looking unlikely that the Dutchman would settle for anything less than a championship-winning car in the future, it could lead to one of F1’s greatest drivers calling it quits on his F1 career prematurely.
