Former Red Bull driver feels Max Verstappen's move to Mercedes imminent

Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos feels Max Verstappen's move to Mercedes seems imminent as the German team has shown a remarkable resurgence. The speculation of a possible move for the Dutch driver appears to have begun since the race in Bahrain, when Jos Verstappen was seen in an extended chat with Toto Wolff.

Max Verstappen's father has not had the best of relations with Red Bull boss Christian Horner and has been vocal about the reigning champion leaving the team if the car is not the best. When those suggestions were first made early in the season, they were dismissed based on the caveat that Mercedes is not even winning races.

In the last four races, however, things have changed. During this period, the German team has won two races and secured pole position twice as well. This is twice the number of wins that the team has had in the last 30 months. In the last race in Silverstone, it was Max Verstappen only who trailed Lewis Hamilton home.

Talking about Max Verstappen's future, former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos felt that the Dutch driver was going to end at Mercedes. He told Motorsport.com:

“I still believe he will go to Mercedes. We talk about 2026, because it’s important to be with the team with the best engine. But I think Mercedes would rather have it happen in 2025, because then they can wave goodbye to one World Champion and welcome another World Champion."

He added:

“Since Mercedes didn’t have a competitive car earlier in the year, it was a ‘no brainer’ for Max to stay with Red Bull next year, who were still quite dominant at that time. But that has suddenly changed."

Robert felt that the Red Bull drop in form could be a result of the team losing Adrian Newey and the early season unrest that it went through. He said:

“That could be due to all kinds of factors, such as the unrest within the team, the departure of Adrian Newey and a second driver who is causing terrible headaches. There is simply a lot going on behind the scenes at Red Bull and at the same time you see Mercedes becoming increasingly competitive. That team is on a serious streak.”

Max Verstappen should seriously consider Mercedes: Doornbos

Doornbos felt that Max Verstappen should seriously consider a move to Mercedes because there is a scenario where Red Bull is at the end of its dominance curve. From this point on, the team could start declining and if that is the case then the German squad could be a great destination for the Dutch driver. He said:

“Max has to see whether Red Bull can still get things back on track or whether the wave the team was surfing on is over. In any case, it should not deteriorate much further. In principle, Max still has a contract, but in my opinion, Max should seriously consider whether he should join Mercedes before 2025."

He added:

"If Mercedes really turns out to be that good, he could have a great gap year at Mercedes next year and then dominate again from 2026.”

It is quite astounding that Max Verstappen, with a contract that extends to 2028 and leading a championship by a margin that seems impossible right now, should consider a move. Having said that, the dynamics between Christian Horner and Jos Verstappen have not been good and that could play a role in Max calling time on his Red Bull stint.