Max Verstappen's McLaren talks ignite driver‑market speculation

Four‑time world champion Max Verstappen remains under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but his deal contains a performance‑related exit clause that could allow a move if he is outside the top two in the championship by the summer break.

Verstappen’s management has reportedly initiated preliminary discussions with McLaren, a move confirmed by Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater. McLaren CEO Zak Brown said the team is “very happy” with its current drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri but did not rule out a potential transfer, adding the familiar line, “If for some strange reason someone slips on a banana peel… Max is a four‑time world champion.”

Red Bull has been active in trying to retain the Dutchman, with senior figures including major shareholder Mark Mateschitz and CEO Oliver Mintzlaff meeting his manager Raymond Vermeulen during the Austrian GP weekend. Brown reiterated his surprise would be “very surprised if Lando or Oscar left,” while Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen stressed that staying depends on Red Bull’s competitiveness.

Other teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari are also mentioned as possible destinations, but McLaren is the most discussed option, especially after the announced move of Verstappen’s long‑time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to the Woking outfit in 2028. Verstappen finished second in Austria, sitting seventh in the drivers’ standings, 58 points behind second‑placed George Russell, keeping the speculation alive ahead of the upcoming races.