Paddock gossip continues to link Verstappen with Mercedes move ahead of Silverstone

Rumours continue to circulate around Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing future as the F1 teams head for Silverstone this weekend.

The four-time world champion has been heavily linked with a move away from Tilbrook for next season, with Mercedes the likely destination should he opt to make the move for the 2026 season.

Ahead of last week’s Austrian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver George Russell, who is awaiting a new deal with the Brackley team, said his team were likely in discussions with the Dutchman, while Mercedes boss Toto Wolff did little to shut those rumours down.

Reports from the F1 paddock this week have only ramped up those whispers too, with some sources claiming talks between the two are at an ‘advanced’ stage.

But after his first lap elimination in Austria, Verstappen is keen to get back to point-scoring ways at Silverstone, where he won in 2020 and 2023.

“Austria was a weekend to forget,” he said. “We were pretty unlucky and it was not the result that we wanted. However, we want to come back stronger and hopefully can analyse and find more pace in the car so we can be more competitive to head into another team home race.

“Silverstone has lots of high-speed corners which are hard to overtake and it is a track with lots of history. It is always a busy one for us, with lots of events going on, but it is nice for the team to be close to home this weekend. You never know what the weather might bring so we will see what happens."

Further rumours have taken hold at Red Bull’s sister team too, with Liam Lawson, who was replaced at Tilbrook after just two races, tipped to be dropped again in favour of 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad. The British-Swede has impressed in F2 this term, and will make his F1 debut at Silverstone, replacing Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull for the first free practice session.

Speaking ahead of his debut, he said: “I am very excited to be driving during FP1, driving in an official F1 session is going to be a very special moment, it is something I have dreamt of for a long time. To get a first taste of F1 with Oracle Red Bull Racing as well, after being with the Junior Programme for almost five years, is really special to me.

“To be making my F1 debut as a British driver, on a British track, in front of a British crowd, is going to be really amazing. My aim is to get up to speed in the car really quickly, get Yuki good data to help him across the weekend, lead the team in a good direction and try to drive quickly as well. I can’t wait to hit the track and get going.”