Verappen before switching to Mercedes? Meet secret in Sardinia!

Verappen before switching to Mercedes? Meet secret in Sardinia!

In Formula 1 there is currently a wave of speculation about the future of Max Verstappen, especially after Christian Horner's surprising resignation as team boss of Red Bull. Horner, who had contributed significantly to the rise of the team, had to give way due to internal problems. Only Helmut Marko and Verstappen themselves have left Red Bull, which increases the uncertainty about the team. Verstappen, who has so far only achieved two victories this season, faces challenges that make the title defense more difficult. According to reports, a performance -related contractual clause in Verstappen could allow Red Bull to leave for between 80 and 100 million euros. Toto Wolff von Mercedes has already expressed interest in Verstappen, which heats up the rumors about a possible change.

In Sardinia, references to a secret meeting between Wolff and Verstappen have been discovered. Yacht trackers show that the yachts of both drivers were in the immediate vicinity of each other. Ralf Schumacher said in a podcast that such an encounter could actually have taken place. Nelson Piquet jr. In another podcast, added that he considers potential future at Mercedes as likely and indicated that Kimi Antonelli could become the new teammate of the Dutch.

Horner and Wolff to the controversy

The latest events around Verstappen were also overshadowed by controversy incidents during the race in Spain. There was a collision between Verstappen and George Russell, which was triggered after a safety car phase. While Verstappen drove on hard tires, in the middle of many drivers on soft tires, Leclerc was able to overtake him. Russell tried to overtake to Leclerc, which led to the collision. Horner was frustrated by the 10-second penalty, which received Verstappen because of the collision, as this cost a possible podium. Wolff, on the other hand, said that he did not know that Verstappen was instructed to leave Russell and spoke of an "incomprehensible" behavior of the Red Bull pilot.

Change in team leadership

The resignation of Horner is part of a larger trend in Formula 1, in which team bosses experience frequent changes. Nine teams have changed their team boss since 2022, whereby Toto Wolff is now the oldest team manager. Laurent Mekies now takes over the position of the new CEO of Red Bull. The current situation shows how the pressure on team bosses in motorsport increases, which often leads to quick changes and restructuring. McLaren, Ferrari, Williams and Haas are just a few of the teams that have experienced significant changes in recent years.

A final decision about the future of the future is expected in the coming weeks, and the motorsport world will be excited to see how the situation will develop.