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Verstappen Nears Mercedes Switch Using 2026 Exit Clause

Approval of the clause would reshape Mercedes’s driver roster ahead of sweeping 2026 regulations.

Verstappen, rivoluzione F1: via dalla Red Bull, si va verso il sì alla Mercedes
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Overview

  • According to multiple Formula 1 insiders, Verstappen is poised to invoke a 2026 exit clause in his Red Bull contract to join Mercedes pending board approval.
  • His current deal with Red Bull runs until 2028 but includes a performance-based clause that could free him next season.
  • A move to Mercedes would likely displace George Russell, whose contract expires at the end of 2025, and pair Verstappen with rookie Kimi Antonelli.
  • Team principal Toto Wolff has courted Verstappen since 2014, beginning with efforts to bring him into the Mercedes junior driver program.
  • Mercedes’s interest is driven by confidence that the 2026 engine and aerodynamic regulations will significantly boost its competitiveness.