Piquet Predicts: Verstappen's Surprising Switch to Mercedes in 2026

Jul.11 -  With Christian Horner no longer a factor, all eyes are back on Max Verstappen's next move in Formula 1.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher says he witnessed the final argument between Max's father Jos and Horner at Silverstone, with Bild newspaper revealing how the exchange ended.

"I'll keep the pressure on you, Christian," Jos reportedly said.

Days later, with Red Bull's Thai co-owner Chalerm Yoovidhya no longer able to protect Horner after diluting his 51 percent control by 2pc, Horner is gone.

Max Verstappen, meanwhile, was heading to Sardinia.

"It is no coincidence that this week there are two yachts off the coast of Sardinia," Schumacher told motorsport-total.com.  "One belongs to Toto Wolff, and the other to Max Verstappen.

"I can imagine them drinking coffee together."

Some think Horner's exit was the result of an ultimatum the Verstappen camp made to Red Bull, although former F1 driver Christijan Albers is not so sure.

"I don't believe Max said 'he's out or I'm out'," he told the Dutch publication Formule 1.  "That's not how he is.

"I do think he made it clear that things have to change.  Red Bull is nothing without Max, and that's not how it should be at a top team, of course."

Former Haas team boss Gunther Steiner thinks Verstappen, 27, will wait at Red Bull at least long enough to assess what changes in the new Laurent Mekies era.

"I believe he'll stay where he is next year," Steiner told sport.de.

"There will be completely new regulations - nobody knows who will be where.  Switching now and signing a long-term contract is too much of a risk."

A move for 2027 makes much more sense, Steiner added.

"Logically, you have a good chance of getting into the best car if you're the best driver," he said.  "That's just how it works in Formula 1.

"Max will calmly analyse next year who has the best package."

Fascinatingly, though, a very well-placed insider has let slip that the quadruple world champion's decision may already have been made.

Discussing Mercedes' current performance on the Pelas Pistas podcast, Nelson Piquet Jr. said: "There are weekends this year where things just don't work out for Mercedes.

"But who knows what will happen next year, when Max is driving there," the former F1 driver added.

Piquet, 39, is not only the son of F1 legend Nelson Piquet senior, but the older brother of Verstappen's girlfriend, Kelly.

After letting slip that Verstappen will be "driving there" at Mercedes in 2026, he immediately hit reverse gear.  "I think he'll make a decision in August."

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