Mercedes play Max Verstappen waiting game as Helmut Marko clause detail emerges

Mercedes are reportedly prepared to wait until October to finalise their F1 2025 driver lineup, with the team holding out in the hope of luring Max Verstappen from Red Bull .Despite holding a contract until the end of the F1 2028 season – and winning four of the first six races of F1 2024 – Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move away from Red Bull for next year amid the off-track saga currently engulfing the team.

Reports in Germany last month claimed Verstappen is “stuck in a corner” in the driver market, with any commitment to Red Bull beyond this season likely to signal the green light for Horner to step up plans to oust Marko against the backdrop of the ongoing power struggle within the team since the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022.

It is claimed that Verstappen’s Marko-related exit clause must be triggered immediately if the 81-year-old is sacked or suspended, but the lack of appealing alternatives would make it highly unlikely that Verstappen would seek a quick escape route upon Marko’s dismissal. If he is unable to sign Verstappen now, Wolff is reportedly prepared to “take the risk” of placing 17-year-old Italian sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli alongside George Russell for the F1 2025 season in the hope of trying again for Verstappen for F1 2026.

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