Max Verstappen’s move to Mercedes “pretty close to a done deal,” according to F1 pundit

Former F1 driver turned pundit Johnny Herbert has claimed that Max Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes is almost complete.

Ever since Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior, the Austrian team has been surrounded by controversy and chaos. Even though Horner was cleared of any allegations made against him after an internal investigation, the entire situation massively tainted the team's image.

Verstappen's name has been synonymous with Red Bull, but rumors emerged of him potentially leaving the team after Horner's investigation fiasco. The speculations about him moving to Mercedes sparked up when Max's father, Jos Verstappen, openly criticized Horner. Jos also met with Mercedes team boss, Toto Wolff, after the 2024 F1 Bahrain GP.

As per Betideas, Johnny Herbert claimed he heard that Max Verstappen's transfer to Mercedes is almost complete and that it could be a power play from the Verstappen family.

“I hear it is pretty close to a done deal, brokered between Max and Mercedes. Is it a power play by the Verstappen team? Possibly,” he said.

Since Mercedes had struggled to build a competent car in the past few years, Herbert felt that Verstappen's move to the German team might not prove fruitful.

“I don’t think it is the best scenario for Max. Mercedes have struggled for the last three years and still haven’t got a good car. The whole shenanigans are ripping Red Bull apart, as Jos Verstappen has said. It is ripping the team apart to the extent they might well lose their biggest asset,” he added.

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Toto Wolff reckons Max Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes depends on Christian Horner's position at Red Bull

Addressing Max Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes, team boss Toto Wolff hinted that the transfer could depend on Christian Horner's status at Red Bull. He concluded by saying that everything depends on Horner's personality.

"If [Christian] Horner stays [as Red Bull team principal], there are exciting scenarios. Ultimately, it's about Horner's personality. But as I said - I only read what happens internally at Red Bull in the media," Wolff told Oe24 (via PlanetF1).

As of now, Horner remains in the team principal position at Red Bull. However, the employee who alleged inappropriate conduct against him has reportedly filed a complaint with the FIA (via the Independent).

Meanwhile, Mercedes will lose seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after this season as he is set to join Ferrari.