Everything we know about the Max Verstappen McLaren rumours that won’t go away

Max Verstappen’s future with Red Bull and in Formula 1 continues to be the subject of huge speculation. 

In recent weeks rumours surrounding Verstappen’s fate have only intensified after it emerged ahead of the recent Austrian Grand Prix that the four-time world champion’s representatives had met with McLaren to hold “preliminary talks” about a possible deal. 

Speculation about a potential bombshell announcement regarding Verstappen has been rife ever since, particularly as F1 enters a key period of time when it comes to the driver market for 2027 and beyond. 

So what is actually going on? Here is everything we know about Verstappen’s future and the McLaren rumours that simply won’t go away…

Why did the meeting take place? 

The meeting took place amid the backdrop of a hugely frustrating campaign for Verstappen. It has been a very difficult season for Red Bull, leaving the 28-year-old Dutchman currently out of contention for wins in a car that has largely been fourth-best. 

On top of Verstappen’s disappointment with Red Bull’s lack of competitiveness, he has been the biggest critic of F1’s new cars and engine regulations for 2026. Verstappen’s fierce attacks on the new rules left his future uncertain, though changes for 2027 and 2028 have led to him softening his stance after several threats to quit the sport altogether.

Red Bull’s RB22 has been blighted by problems since the start of the season and it should come as no surprise that Verstappen and his management have been looking around to see what options could be available to him. 

While reports of the meeting have sent the F1 rumour mill into overdrive, it is commonplace for drivers and their management to assess the market as they weigh up their next move. Verstappen could simply be testing the waters, and using Red Bull’s struggles as leverage as a bargaining tool to strengthen his own position within the team. 

Alternatively, he could be seriously interested in a move and putting the early groundwork in place. Verstappen is under contract to Red Bull until the end of 2028 but has a performance clause in his existing deal that could allow him to leave at the end of this year if he so wished. 

It has been reported that the clause in question does not come into effect until October, but Verstappen is on course to be in a position to trigger it based on his current position in the world championship and deficit to the top two - which is believed to be the decisive performance parameter. 

Following the meeting, Red Bull took an encouraging step forward with a major upgrade at its home race in Austria. But two rear wing failures in the space of nine days have done little to improve Verstappen’s mood.

After ending the British Grand Prix stuck in the gravel bed at Stowe, Verstappen was at his most annoyed to date, stating he is “fed up” with the ongoing woes and was “just looking forward to going home and not thinking about Formula 1.” 

What has Verstappen said?

Verstappen was in no mood to entertain gossip when he was questioned about the talks with McLaren in the build up to the British Grand Prix. 

"I'm not going to involve myself in that," Verstappen told media including Crash.net at Silverstone. 

“I said what I wanted to say already before. If there's something new or something that changes, you will hear it from me, not from someone else writing it, right? I just focus on the job that I have with my team. We are on the way up, so that's really nice to see. 

“I had a really positive weekend in Austria, we just try to improve from there further. I know of course it can be quite tough, there's a lot of competition. But yeah, we are here just to try and go faster.”

Things seem to have ramped up in the days following the British Grand Prix, which did little to ease the deep tensions between Verstappen and Red Bull.

After the race, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was seen having an animated conversation with Max’s father Jos and his manager Raymond Vermeulen. Verstappen returned to the Red Bull motorhome while this was taking place and Mekies was seen immediately breaking off the chat to follow Verstappen up the stairs. 

Red Bull has apologised to a livid Verstappen for its recent car failures, but it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to repair the cracks. 

How has McLaren responded?

McLaren, meanwhile, has been doing everything possible to downplay the rumours linking Verstappen with the team, though it has not gone as far as denying the reports. 

In several interviews, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has stressed he is happy with his current driver line-up and has no plans to make any changes, with both reigning world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri holding long-term contracts with the team. 

Brown reaffirmed his commitment to Norris and Piastri in the FIA press conference at Silverstone, saying: “I’m very happy with my two racing drivers, Lando and Oscar. I think any time a name like Max is thrown around, everyone gets pretty excited, a four-time world champion. But [I’m] very happy with our driver line-up.”

Regarding the talks with Verstappen, Brown attempted to shoot down their significance, insisting: “They didn’t go anywhere. I’ve got my two drivers. So there’s nothing to report.”

Could a move to McLaren work for Verstappen? 

There are two things to consider here. Firstly, and arguably the most important, is the fact that both Norris and Piastri are tied down to big deals with McLaren. 

To facilitate a move for Verstappen, Brown would have to remove one of his drivers. It is hard to imagine he would let the reigning world champion go, leaving Piastri as the more likely candidate to be moved on in most people’s eyes. 

Many have suggested that Piastri could be used as part of a direct swap with Verstappen and replace the Dutchman at Red Bull. But there is no indication from Piastri that he is looking to leave, or move to Red Bull. Piastri’s manager Mark Webber described reports claiming that Piastri is agitating to leave McLaren as “nonsense”. 

It is generally accepted in F1 that driver contracts are not worth the paper they are written on. At the end of the day, if a team wants a driver badly enough, and has the financial might to make a deal happen, it will. After all, McLaren itself has history when it comes to terminating a driver’s contract early (just ask Daniel Ricciardo). 

And if a four-time world champion and the driver of Verstappen’s calibre is available, a team would be foolish to not at least explore the possibility.

But McLaren must weigh up the pros and cons. It currently boasts a harmonious and successful driver pairing. Bringing Verstappen onboard would risk destabilising that, as well as threatening the policy of fairness that McLaren prides itself on. 

The other side of this relates to Verstappen himself. 

On paper, Verstappen should have the pick of any team he wants on the grid. But the Mercedes door appears to be closed with Toto Wolff keeping the faith in his current line-up, while there doesn’t seem to be room at Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc signing a new deal and Lewis Hamilton enjoying a resurgence and triggering a contract extension to keep him at the Italian outfit for a third season. 

Any appeal Aston Martin and a reunion with legendary designer Adrian Newey might have had for Verstappen looks to have faded given the team’s disastrous 2026 campaign. 

That leaves McLaren as Verstappen’s last and only real option for a competitive F1 seat at the sharp end of the grid. McLaren is not having the best season in 2026, but it has won the last two constructors’ world titles and has a track record of turning around poor patches through impressive car development. 

A move to McLaren would also enable Verstappen to reunite with his long-term race engineer and most trusted ally, Gianpiero Lambiase, who is joining the Woking squad in 2028. McLaren’s Hypercar project could also open the door for Verstappen to one day tackle Le Mans, with the legendary 24-hour race on his wish list. 

As things stand, Verstappen has not made a decision about his future. But whatever he chooses to do will have major ramifications up and down the grid.