​Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes a move that would see Max Verstappen join Mercedes is unlikely to materialize, arguing that the only realistic scenario in which it could occur would be if George Russell leaves the team at the end of the season. The week has been dominated by speculation linking Verstappen with McLaren, even as the four-time world champion’s future remains uncertain despite Zak Brown’s repeated insistence that he intends to continue with the Lando Norris-Oscar Piastri lineup in the years ahead.
GPblog understands that talks have taken place between Verstappen’s camp and McLaren, with contact initiated at the request of the Dutch driver’s representatives. The discussions are understood to have involved McLaren chief executive officer Zak Brown, both in direct conversations with Verstappen and in separate discussions with the four-time champion’s management team.
Before Verstappen began to be increasingly linked with a potential move to McLaren as Norris’ prospective teammate, Mercedes had dominated headlines for months, particularly last year, before Verstappen confirmed he would remain with Red Bull for this season.
On the Red Flags podcast, Steiner questioned the probability of Verstappen moving to Mercedes, arguing that such a signing would only make sense if Russell departed. He noted that the Brackley-based outfit already has what he considers their next superstar in Kimi Antonelli, alongside an established driver in Russell, making it hard to justify pursuing Verstappen. Steiner added that Verstappen would command a substantially higher salary and warned that his arrival could disrupt the development of the Italian driver, suggesting Toto Wolff is “too smart” to pursue that move under those conditions.
“Where is he going? If he doesn’t like Red Bull, there are other options, but they don’t have the money to pay him, and they don’t have the car he wants. Why would Mercedes take him? Mercedes already has the next superstar and a very good driver in George. Why would you spend more money to bring in Max? The only way Max would come in is if George leaves. He costs a lot more than George and could unsettle Kimi. Why would he do that? And Toto is too smart to do that, in my opinion, and it would cost a lot more,” Steiner said.
Meanwhile, the former F1 driver dismissed rumors suggesting Piastri is looking to depart McLaren, insisting the Australian remains fully committed to the team despite ongoing speculation about Verstappen’s future. In an interview with RACER, the former driver rejected claims that Piastri is plotting an exit from McLaren, labeling such reports as unfounded. He noted that Piastri is contracted to the Woking-based outfit for the foreseeable future, reinforcing the notion of his continued commitment to McLaren despite continued chatter about Verstappen’s potential moves.