Verstappen’s Next Move: McLaren Talks Intensify as Red Bull Leadership Splits

A rumor that started as paddock chatter has hardened into something far more concrete. According to a report from PlanetF1 journalist Thomas Maher, Max Verstappen and McLaren are in the final stages of contract negotiations—a deal that, if signed, would shake up the Formula 1 grid in ways not seen in years.

The world champion is said to be nearing a decision, and the implications are already rippling through two of the sport’s biggest teams.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has publicly insisted the team is happy with its current lineup of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. But behind the scenes, sources within the team’s garage tell Maher that signing Verstappen is not off the table. Passing on a driver of his caliber, one source noted, would be a missed opportunity too large to ignore.

The tension is heightened by what’s happening back at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes headquarters, where the leadership has fractured into two camps. On one side, Austrian owner Mark Mateschitz is reportedly frustrated with Verstappen’s refusal to commit and has signaled a willingness to cut ties entirely.

On the other, Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is fighting to keep him, arguing that no other driver can extract the same performance from the team’s upcoming 2026 chassis. That internal split has eroded whatever leverage Red Bull once held.

If Verstappen does move to McLaren, the most immediate casualty would be Oscar Piastri. The Australian driver holds a valid contract and, according to people close to him, has no interest in leaving a competitive environment. But in Formula 1, contracts can bend under the weight of a superstar signing.

The likely outcome, Maher reports, would be a straight swap: Piastri heads to Red Bull while Verstappen takes his seat at Woking. Piastri’s camp has expressed frustration with McLaren’s internal hierarchy in the past, but being pushed out to accommodate Verstappen would still sting.

If the deal goes through, it would mark the most consequential driver swap in modern F1—and a test of how far loyalty stretches when a championship is on the line.