McLaren CEO predicts Verstappen "will leave" Red Bull ahead of the 2026 regulation change

Rhonan Colquhoun 17:38pm 19th March 2025

MCLAREN Racing CEO Zak Brown has predicted that Reigning Driver's Champion Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull to join a rival team ahead of next season.

Brown, who has a fierce rivalry with Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, predicted that the Dutchman will move to Mercedes to replace the out of contract George Russell for 2026.

FUEL TO THE FIRE: Brown's comments will only add to the intense rivalry he has with Christian Horner and is sure to develop more over the course of the year

Verstappen, who finished the 2025 season-opener race in Melbourne behind McLaren's Lando Norris after a dramatic race, will sign with Mercedes as Brown believes the German engine manufacturer will be "best-equipped" ahead of the regulation reset in 2026.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Brown said: "Oh I think Max will leave at the end of the year. If I was betting, I'd bet on Mercedes.

"They (Mercedes) have stability. We know Toto like him. Plus, George is out of contract at the end of this season and Kimi will be on a series of one-years."

The American predicts that Mercedes will get Four Time World Champion Verstappen to replace Russell and instead partner young-sensation Kimi Antonelli who claimed a brilliant fourth on debut in Australia.

Russell and Mercedes both acknowledge that they'll be discussing contracts in the short future while the Brit's third place finish - behind Norris and Verstappen in Australia - adding to one of the many reasons why Russell was kept on and chosen to lead the team after Lewis Hamilton's departure to Ferrari.

However, for a brief period last year, it was made paddock knowledge that Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal, was interested in Verstappen's services as soon as 2025. This was after a number of key personnel, Johnathan Wheatley and Adrian Newey, were announced to be departing Red Bull after the controversy that surrounded the team early last year regarding Horner's allegations.

There were rumours from Verstappen's camp that he was looking at other options but that interest quickly slowed after the Dutchman won his fourth title.

Brown and Horner have a very intense rivalry - made clear by the F1 documentary series on Netflix "Drive to Survive" - with both team figureheads constantly fighting to finish ahead of the other and happy to throw small digs about each other around.

STAYING PUT: Verstappen's current Red Bull contract currently runs to the end of the 2028 Season and while the team remains competitive, he'll stay

While McLaren have both Australian Grand Prix Winner Norris and Oscar Piastri - who signed a new multi-year contract on the run-up to the start of the season - locked-down for the next couple of seasons, it didn't stop Brown enquiring about Verstappen's availability.

According to the Red Bull driver, his management team soon put an end to the McLaren CEO's curious mind once he'd learnt how much he'd have to pay for the Dutchman's services.