Max Verstappen is open to leaving Red Bull to join Mercedes for the 2026 Formula 1 season with talks intensifying ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix, according to reports.
Sky Sports report that the reigning world champion is willing to free himself from his current Red Bull contract which runs until 2028.
Speculation about Verstappen's future ramped up at the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend when George Russell told Sky Sports F1 that he has not been given a new Mercedes contract beyond 2025 due to the team having "ongoing conversations" with Verstappen.
The timing comes as Formula 1 prepares for significant regulation changes in 2026.
Toto Wolff is a big fan of Max Verstappen and wants to sign him to MercedesPAMercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed there were "conversations behind closed doors" taking place.
Speaking after Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, from which Verstappen retired after he was hit by Antonelli on the first lap, Wolff said a decision about Mercedes' driver line-up for next year would come in August.
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"You need to be respectable towards the stakeholders in all of that process - the organisation, the drivers, everybody," said Wolff on the timeline for a decision.
"I've been open with it, transparent.
"And at a certain stage, in the next couple of months, until the summer break, everything is going to be done."
The Mercedes board are reportedly unsure if signing Verstappen is necessary, given they could have the car to beat following the introduction of new regulations in 2026.
Sky Sports reports Verstappen has not indicated he wants to leave Red Bull early, nor has there been an official approach from Mercedes for the reigning F1 world champion.
However, Verstappen has a clause in his contract that will allow him to leave Red Bull after this season if he is not in the top four of the Drivers' Championship at the start of the F1 summer break, which follows the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3.
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Max Verstappen is reportedly open to joining Mercedes
PA
Verstappen is currently third in the standings, nine points ahead of Russell and 36 points in front of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc with three rounds until the summer break.
It is also reported that a huge sum of money would be required to buy Verstappen out of his current Red Bull contract, potentially in excess of £100m.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner dismissed speculation around Verstappen as "noise" when asked in Austria about the comments from Russell and Wolff.
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Christian Horner has dismissed speculation over Max Verstappen's future
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"I think Max gets quite annoyed by it. We are very clear with the contract that we have with Max until 2028," Horner told Sky Sports F1.
"So, anything is entirely speculative that is being said, but we tend not to pay too much attention to it."
Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle suggested there could be substance to the rumours, saying: "I think George Russell is nervous and is ringing around a bit. There's no smoke without fire."
"Can Max actually get out of his contract? Something is up."
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