Max Verstappen’s future in the dark? Rumors mounting ahead of the Austrian GP. This weekend, the Austrian Grand Prix awaits Formula 1. Max Verstappen hopes to secure a podium finish once again. However, he still does not appear satisfied with his Red Bull team, which further fuels the rumors. The British medium ‘Daily Mail’ reports that exploratory talks are already underway behind the scenes.

Things are still not really working out for Max Verstappen this season. The Dutchman has only achieved a podium finish once, at the Canadian Grand Prix, and is openly complaining about his Red Bull car. After the Barcelona GP, he was once again cynical and harsh towards his team. “It was lonely and too slow,” he was quoted as saying at the time. As a result, it is still not entirely clear where Verstappen’s future lies. Furthermore, his engineer Giampiero Lambiase is leaving for McLaren, making it highly questionable where the Dutchman will be driving in the coming years.

Other teams are also monitoring the situation closely.

‘Exploratory talks’ The British medium The Daily Mail reports, citing insiders, that McLaren has already secretly held several exploratory ‘secret talks’ with Verstappen’s entourage. The British racing team reportedly dreams of an absolute star lineup with both Verstappen and Lando Norris as teammates. In that scenario, Oscar Piastri would have to make way. According to the medium, the talks are still in an early stage, but a transfer could be possible as early as next season.

Verstappen is currently under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, although there are reportedly clauses in his contract that allow him to leave earlier. The Dutchman is said to be keeping his options open, partly because Red Bull appears to be losing ground to competitors like McLaren and Mercedes lately. Nevertheless, a departure for Verstappen is by no means a foregone conclusion. The driver from Limburg has shown loyalty to Red Bull for years, the team with which he won four world titles and rose to become one of the biggest names in the sport.

McLaren boss Zak Brown declined to comment on the rumors.

Austrian GP This coming weekend, a home race awaits Red Bull with the Austrian GP. The hope is that Verstappen can prove himself there again. In the past, he has already managed to win the race three times. Free practice begins on Friday in the Alpine country.

Max Verstappen’s future in the dark? Rumors mounting ahead of the Austrian GP. This weekend, the Austrian Grand Prix awaits Formula 1. Max Verstappen hopes to secure a podium finish once again. However, he still does not appear satisfied with his Red Bull team, which further fuels the rumors. The British medium ‘Daily Mail’ reports that exploratory talks are already underway behind the scenes.

Things are still not really working out for Max Verstappen this season. The Dutchman has only achieved a podium finish once, at the Canadian Grand Prix, and is openly complaining about his Red Bull car. After the Barcelona GP, he was once again cynical and harsh towards his team. “It was lonely and too slow,” he was quoted as saying at the time. As a result, it is still not entirely clear where Verstappen’s future lies. Furthermore, his engineer Giampiero Lambiase is leaving for McLaren, making it highly questionable where the Dutchman will be driving in the coming years.

Other teams are also monitoring the situation closely.

‘Exploratory talks’ The British medium The Daily Mail reports, citing insiders, that McLaren has already secretly held several exploratory ‘secret talks’ with Verstappen’s entourage. The British racing team reportedly dreams of an absolute star lineup with both Verstappen and Lando Norris as teammates. In that scenario, Oscar Piastri would have to make way. According to the medium, the talks are still in an early stage, but a transfer could be possible as early as next season.

Verstappen is currently under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, although there are reportedly clauses in his contract that allow him to leave earlier. The Dutchman is said to be keeping his options open, partly because Red Bull appears to be losing ground to competitors like McLaren and Mercedes lately. Nevertheless, a departure for Verstappen is by no means a foregone conclusion. The driver from Limburg has shown loyalty to Red Bull for years, the team with which he won four world titles and rose to become one of the biggest names in the sport.

McLaren boss Zak Brown declined to comment on the rumors.

Austrian GP This coming weekend, a home race awaits Red Bull with the Austrian GP. The hope is that Verstappen can prove himself there again. In the past, he has already managed to win the race three times. Free practice begins on Friday in the Alpine country.