F1 2025 Driver Contracts/Silly Season News

MB has the resources to both pay Max and develop the 26 car, more than all others. Adrian spoke truth that he needs to show Max a very fast car after the 26 season, to be considered. Given that RB is fading, and has never developed an engine.... I think our dream team of Max and Kimi comes about.

 

exactly. They want to keep Kimi, having Max alongside him is a dream come true for Mercedes.

 

How funny would it be if Max goes to Mercedes and then breaks all of Lewis’s records with his former team?

 

That probability may actually be high:

1. RB can't give Max a competitive car since Adrian left, how can they design to a new rule without Adrian?
2. They've never built an engine
3. This season is over for Max, time to look at 26 and beyond
4. Jos and Marko can see these things as well as Max
5. AM doesn't have the resources, and certainly not the design track record of MB
6. As Bas said elsewhere, easily $100 ++ million a year for him to stay, and MB can afford more
7. retiring he gets older, but gets to see the new competitive order

 

A steady pair of hands?

 

George Russell or Max Verstappen? The choice for Mercedes is simple
When George Russell decided to take on Max Verstappen at the end of last season, there was a danger that it would all end badly – humiliatingly so – for him.

In being so public and personal with a critique crossing into the territory of a character assassination, all Slideshow George succeeded in doing was setting himself up for a fall.

Verstappen, after all, had already been linked with a move to Mercedes throughout 2024 following the departure of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari.

And with Mercedes investing in the long term with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, if Max was going to replace anyone for 2026 it was always going to be Russell, whose contract just so happened to expire at the end of 2025 as if the timelines had been perfectly aligned.

George, surely, would have known all this when he went into battle in that unforgettable media session back in Abu Dhabi.

And lo and behold, less than seven months later he now finds himself with his future in Verstappen’s hands.

The casual way George let slip in Austria that negotiations between Mercedes and Verstappen are “ongoing” masked the dread he must feel as the wait for a decision on his future goes on

https://www.planetf1.com/features/austrian-grand-prix-2025-conclusions

 

payback could be a b.tch for george

https://www.planetf1.com/news/what-caused-max-verstappen-george-russell-explosive-war-of-words

 

What does Russell have that Max doesn't? He is hungrier. Max is getting closer to being another Lewis...racing out of ego but not our of hunger. All Toto has to do is give George the car that can win. He has shown in Canada that he is equal to Max or Charles or the McLaren boys. I think 2026 is going to about Mercedes and Russell and Kimi. I think Toto can see that Max has too much bagage after the whole thing between his father and Horner. Maybe the problem with Ferrari is that they also are not hungry. Their ego wants to win...but they no longer have the passion to really make the effort.

 

John,
We'll see if Max still wants to win -- if he leaves RB whom I doubt can build a competitive 26 car and engine when they can't even compete now! I think Max only wants to win -- and will go to MB who has the resources and has a successful record in rule changes.

His level of skill is well above George's; his current car is a dog and he's dragged it on pole and to wins purely by skill and hunger to win.... and Jos and Toto are friends.

Jos and Marko can see the party is over at RB and will want to move.

 

Ridiculous comment. Just plain ridiculous. You been paying any attention whatsoever or do you just look up the result and make it up from there?

 

lol

 

Let's talk about this next year. Max is bored and that is the worst time to make a decision like this. Toto doesn't need him, he knows the problem is the car, not his drivers. McLaren has to decide who to keep. Whichever one doesn't win the title, will go to Ferrari to replace Leclerc. Charles knows his time is up...he has two choices...a fat last pay day at AM, or a last chance to show he's fast at Audi-Sauber. Max will stay at Red Bull...maybe they shut down Racing Bull, it just eats money, and put Hadjar with Max.

 

Red Bull Racing is a profitable arm for Red Bull.

Max wants to win. Toto needs Max; the extra tenths he brings over Russell is worth quite a lot of money.

Max though has the luxury to sit out however long he likes, if he doesn't like 2026 rules or doesn't at least get a bid for freedom from Red Bull (which I think is part of the negotiations currently...beneficial to both Merc and Max, they can get what they want). I think Max at the very least wants more freedom from Red Bull in regards to doing races outside of F1. 24h Daytona is easily done, outside of F1 schedule. If car is a ****box next year, get him in a Red Bull covered GTP for Le Mans and possibly even Indycar. That'll be of benefit to Red Bull too, turning a negative (terrible car) into a positive: Their star driver doing other races.

I don't think Max is bored at all and very far from being another Lewis. Lewis' career is at it's end, he's not beating the guys that he should and been that way for a while. Max is dragging that ****box to places it shouldn't be. If he didn't care he'd be finishing 10th and collect his paycheck, he'd still be leagues ahead of where his teammates have been even doing that..

 

Whatever happens with the Merc contract, it'll be beneficial to both Toto and Max. Max can dangle the Merc contract in front of Red Bull to get what he wants and Toto can do the same to Russell, who they have over a barrel now so they don't have to give a large pay increase.

Max can demand any figure he wants from Red Bull now but also excuses to race whatever race he likes outside of F1 if the car is bad next year.

 

Russell rejected a 1 + 1 contract. Add to the fact that Toto last year was Max's biggest cheerleader in the paddock, I'd say that this is more than flirting. Toto wants max and you know it.

 

Toto is one of the best TP's in F1 but he is still a snake in the grass. He will say anything to make his drivers happy, but he will throw either one in the trash if he can get Max. Who could blame him.

 

Not likely. He's a vested partner with MercedesAMGF1 and he's worth over $250 million USD.

IF you saw the movie F1, aside from what Sonny Hayes drives, Ruben(Javier Bardem) and Pearce drive the latest and greatest of Mercedes cars....so that's a plugin from Toto as well as Mercedes. Pearce drives a limited edition Mercedes.