Martin Brundle believes “Toto Wolff won’t let Max Verstappen slip away again”. Max Verstappen's future with Red Bull remains uncertain amid performance clauses and Mercedes interest.

Max Verstappen’s future remains a hot topic
“We are very worried.” Helmut Marko, speaking to Sky Sport Deutschland, did not hide his concern about potentially losing Max Verstappen after a Bahrain Grand Prix in which the Dutchman only managed to overtake Pierre Gasly’s Alpine on the final lap. The four-time world champion had to fight tooth and nail for a meagre sixth place in a weekend where, according to Max Verstappen himself, “nothing worked,” including the pit stops.

After the race, Max Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, expressed his frustration in a conversation with Helmut Marko about a Red Bull team that, apart from the high point in Suzuka, has looked to be in serious trouble at the start of this season. Max Verstappen signed a contract with Red Bull through 2028, but it includes performance clauses that allow the four-time champion to exit before its expiration. According to recent reports, Verstappen will be free to leave Red Bull if he is not in the top three of the Drivers’ Championship by the summer.

At the moment, Max Verstappen is third, but only six points ahead of George Russell, who has started 2025 very strongly and can only regret his Q3 performance at Suzuka, which left him starting from the third row and finishing fifth in Japan. The paths of Max Verstappen and George Russell may intersect, because if Max targets Mercedes for 2026 — Mercedes-powered teams are viewed as favourites at the start of the new regulatory cycle — one of either Russell or Antonelli would have to make way for the Dutchman. Martin Brundle, pundit for Sky Sports UK, is especially concerned for his fellow Briton: “If Max Verstappen were really on the market, I’d be worried for Russell,” he said. “Antonelli is clearly Mercedes’ future, even if Russell is doing a great job as the team’s ‘captain’ right now. But Toto Wolff has already missed out on Verstappen once; I don’t think he’d let a second opportunity pass.”

Among the top drivers, George Russell is currently the lowest paid, earning £12 million per year. Martin Brundle’s comment about Toto Wolff not repeating his past ‘mistake’ is widely agreed upon, though Autosport has also reported rumours of a new two-year deal for Russell, with a significant pay rise and an optional third year in 2028 (a 2+1 contract). We’ll see if there are any developments soon; a potential extension for George Russell would represent a strong statement of intent from Wolff.