There are some wild theories floating around, but it's important to note that they're not all baseless. One is about Max Verstappen's departure, and it's said that after the next race the Dutchman will enter into serious negotiations with Toto Wolff.
Although Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull Racing until 2028, it is far from certain that he will complete it. In one of our previous articles, we already mentioned that the Austrian team could be seriously disadvantaged by losing Adrian Newey, and this would probably be the last straw that could start an avalanche…
There are already concrete details about all this, and in addition to Max and Jos Verstappen, the alleged meeting will include manager Raymond Vermeulen, Mercedes' three largest shareholders, Ola Källenius, Ineos boss James Ratcliffe and, of course, Daimler chairman Toto Wolff. Of course, Verstappen "will not give his skin cheaply", as he wants a guarantee that he can take all the professionals he has selected (plus Helmut Marko). In addition, a salary is on the horizon that has been completely unknown in the history of the sport, almost 150,000,000 euros per year. Verstappen would also be a brand ambassador, which would mean that he would remain in the employ of the stars even after his retirement.
Dutch is very popular at Mercedes, with 90% of employees looking forward to working together. They will certainly not have any language problems, as the defending world champion speaks perfect German in addition to English.
