McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull and join Mercedes at the end of the 2025 F1 season.

The future of four-time world champion Verstappen is set to be one of the biggest talking points this year as he continues to be linked with a switch to Mercedes and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aston Martin.

Verstappen is under contract to168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Red Bull until the end of 2028 but it is understood there are specific performance-based exit clauses in his deal🎉 which would enable him to leave if certain con🐼ditions are not met.

Toto Wolff made a very public pursuit of Verstappen in 2024 as Mercedes looked for a replacement for seven-time world champion 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton after he decided to make a blockbuster move to Ferrari.

But Mercedes ultimately signed Italian teenager 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Kimi Antonelli, promoting him after a single season in Formula 2 to partner 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell, whose contract expires at the end 𓂃of the season.

Brown says𝄹 he anticipates Verstappen will quit Red Bull before major new regulations come into force in 2026 and reckons his most likely destination will be Mercedes.

“Oh I think he’ll leave at the end of this yea🥂r,” Brown told , “most likely to Merc.

“There’s been talk of Astꦫon Martin, too, with Adrian Newey joining. But as great as Adrian is – and he’s the greatest ever – you need a🌳 whole team around you. You need the culture. That takes time.

“If I was🤡 betting, I’d bet on Merc. In the last 10 years, they’ve won the championship seven or eight times. Last year they 💟won five races. They have stability.

“We know Toto [Wolf⛦f, Mercedes principal and one-third team owner] likes h🦹im. And I think we all feel HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] is best-equipped on the power unit side heading into the new engine regulations next year.

“Plus, George [Russell] is out of contract at the end of🧔 this season and Kim෴i [Antonelli] will be on a series of one-years.”

Mercedes appear to rule out Max Verstappen move

However, over the season-opening Australian Grand Prix weekend, Wolff stressed he is no longer trying to lure Verstappen fro💮m Red Bull.

Instead, Wolff insisted Mercedes are focused on their current two drivers, revealing he plans to open ꩲtalks with Russell ab💃out a new deal in the coming months.

“We need 💛to concentrate on our driver line-up. I don't flirt outside if I'm in a good relationship,” Wolff said in Melbourne.

"So at the moment that [a move for Verstappen] is not on any radar. I don't plan to shift my concentration♒ away from these guys and [will] make sure that George has some visibility very soon, or has a contract very soon."