With F1 heading to the Miami Grand Prix next weekend, there is more to look forward to than just the race. Toto Wolff and Mercedes are set to have a meeting with Max Verstappen and his family in Miami. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the Dutch drivers’ future.
Mercedes has been trying to lure Verstappen for the entire season. Max currently has a contract with Red Bull until the 2028 season. However, there is a chance that he could leave the team due to a few factors. Let’s take a look at these factors and understand why the Dutch driver could leave Red Bull.
Three factors that could push Max Verstappen to Mercedes
The Ford Partnership
From the 2026 season, Red Bull’s power units will be supplied by the Ford Motor Company. Given that Ford has not been in F1 since 2004 and are not familiar with the complexity of building a modern Formula 1 power unit, Max is not confident that Red Bull will have a strong power unit in 2026. At the moment, Red Bull has one of the most powerful engines on the grid with Honda.
After initial testing, Mercedes’ power unit package for the 2026 season seems to be the most powerful. Hence, Mercedes could provide Max with something Red Bull may not be able to. If Red Bull is not going to have a powerful engine in 2026, they will have to have a strong aero package and chassis. This brings us to the second factor.
Max Verstappen’s familiarity with Adrian Newey’s designs
If Ford is not able to provide Red Bull with a strong engine, the team will have to rely on their technical team to develop a strong car. However, this may prove to be challenging as the team’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey wants to leave the team as soon as possible due to the power struggle within Red Bull between Helmut Marko and Christian Horner.
The power struggle between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko is said to be the primary reason for Adrian Newey to want to leave the team. 👀#F1 #Formula1https://t.co/2voUAUJA1M
— Motorsport Hour (@MotorsportHour) April 27, 2024
Without Newey in the team, Red Bull might not be able to build a competitive aero package and chassis. After all, Newey has been designing Red Bull’s cars since the 2007 season. It will be interesting to see how Red Bull designs their cars without Newey.
Mercedes on the other hand has already proved that their team is capable of building a strong car that can win Championships. From 2014 to 2021, the team won 8 Constructors’ Championships and 7 Drivers’ Championships. Without Newey, Red Bull may not be able to compete with Mercedes’ chassis and aero package as well.
Max Verstappen’s relationship with Helmut Marko
It is no secret that Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen are close. In fact, last year there were rumours of Horner trying to push Marko out of the team. During this, Max told the media that if Marko was to leave the team, so would he. Although this could hold Max with Marko in Red Bull, Mercedes is prepared to open the doors for Helmut Marko as well.
Although Helmut Marko is one of the key members of Red Bull Racing who has been with the team since its inception, he could be convinced to leave to avoid going to war with Christian Horner. Mercedes are even prepared to offer a large contract to both Max and Marko.
From what it seems, Mercedes has a lot to offer that Red Bull can’t. Hence, there is a good chance that Max Verstappen may choose to exit the team with Helmut Marko sooner than later.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan