Driver market speculation continues to dominate the Formula 1 paddock at Silverstone, with increasing rumours surrounding the 2027 season. Once again, Max Verstappen finds himself at the centre of the conversation, this time amid reports linking the four-time World Champion with a sensational move to McLaren.
While Verstappen stopped short of confirming the speculation, he also made no attempt to dismiss it, keeping the door open to questions about his long-term future despite being under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season.
Verstappen refuses to deny McLaren rumours
Speaking during Thursday’s media day at the British Grand Prix, Verstappen was asked directly about reports suggesting he is in discussions over a possible future with McLaren.
“I have no intention of getting involved in this matter,” Verstappen replied. “I’ve already said what I wanted to say before. If something new happens or if there are any changes, you’ll hear it from me and not through rumours or from someone else writing about it, right?”
It was hardly an emphatic declaration of loyalty to Red Bull. In fact, the Dutchman once again avoided shutting down the speculation, fuelling further discussion about what could happen over the coming months.
Much of the uncertainty revolves around the well-known exit clause in Verstappen’s contract. The clause can reportedly be activated before September and would allow him to leave Red Bull at the end of the season if he is outside the top two or top three in the Drivers’ Championship by the summer break, depending on how the contractual wording is interpreted.
Exit clause reportedly remains untouched
Recent reports suggested that Red Bull was prepared to spend millions of dollars to convince Max Verstappen to remove the exit clause from his contract, effectively guaranteeing his stay with the team until the end of 2028.
However, according to F1-Insider.com, Verstappen rejected an offer worth eight million dollars and chose to keep the clause intact. If true, it would indicate that the Dutch driver wants to preserve maximum flexibility before making a decision on his future.
The reported plan is to wait until the middle of the season, assess Red Bull’s progress and competitiveness, and then decide whether to remain with the Milton Keynes-based squad or seriously consider a blockbuster move elsewhere.
McLaren is widely seen as the leading alternative. The reigning Constructors’ World Champions have already secured the services of Verstappen’s current race engineer, Giampiero Lambiase, for 2028 and also employ several key figures who previously worked alongside the Dutchman during Red Bull’s most successful years.
Focus remains on Silverstone
Despite the growing speculation, Verstappen insisted that his attention remains firmly on the task at hand.
“I’m simply focusing on my job with the team. We’re trying to find our way back to the top, and it’s really good to see that happening. I had a really positive weekend in Austria,” Max Verstappen said. “Starting from there, we’re just trying to improve even more. I know, of course, that it can be quite difficult and that the competition is very strong, but we’re here simply to try to go faster.”
For Red Bull, making the RB22 increasingly competitive may now be the most convincing argument of all if the team wants to ensure Verstappen remains committed beyond this season and resists the temptation to explore opportunities elsewhere.
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