Max Verstappen in Mercedes, the idea was there: the Dutchman's truth

Max Verstappen in Mercedes after a resounding farewell to Red Bull was an’option really on the table. Admitting this, with the bowls now closed, was the man himself, the Dutch star who between 2024 and early 2025 had seemed on a collision course with the team that accompanied him in winning his first four world championship titles. The waters in the meantime have largely calmed down, as confirmed by his mighty comeback that led him to end the season just two points behind rainbow Lando Norris.

Marco Enzo Venturini

Talking to the ‘BBC’, Verstappen admitted that indeed an approach with Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, there&#8217s been. In the end, however, came the decision to stay at Red Bull. A team that, in his words, he feels is his far beyond the mere sporting and competitive aspect. “There isn&#8217t just Formula 1 at stake, to change teams many circumstances would have to occur all at once. For example, I would need guarantees about my future role. This is like a second family for me, it is not easy to find similar conditions. To change, therefore, would be a step of great importance”.

In the meantime, a real revolution continues to take place at Red Bull, with many central figures having left the team and others who may do so. First to leave, as is well known, was Adrian Newey, who signed all the single-seaters with which Verstappen became world champion and who has since settled at Aston Martin. Then it was the return of’former team principal Christian Horner, who has since been profitably replaced by Laurent Mekies. But next on the list could be Gianpiero Lambiase, longtime track engineer for the Dutch star.

According to what has been gathered by ‘The Race’ an authoritative British publication, the increasingly ambitious Aston Martin is reportedly trying in these vacation weeks for Formula 1 (at least on the track) to offer an important role in the team to Lambiase. This would not be a simple track engineer job, the one held for years at Red Bull for Verstappen, but much more.

In fact, there is talk of a management position “potentially at the level of team principal or managing director, in a bid to revamp the’entire team structure”. It cannot be ruled out that the transfer will take place in the immediate term, making it necessary for Red Bull to identify a new track engineer. In that sense, the right man is already there: he is Simon Rennie, who has already occasionally served in that role. For Verstappen, however, it would be another big change ahead of 2026.