Guenther Steiner, former director of the Haas F1 team, has expressed his doubts about the possible incorporation of Max Verstappen to Mercedes. In a recent intervention, he argued that the team principal, Toto Wolff, is “too smart” to make a move that could be costly and destabilize the current driver lineup.
Rumors about Verstappen’s future have increased following his dissatisfaction with the new cars and technical issues with his Red Bull vehicle. After a mechanical failure during the British Grand Prix, the Dutch driver expressed his frustration with the performance and reliability of his car.
These circumstances have fueled speculation about a possible move to Mercedes or McLaren. However, Steiner, in an appearance on the Red Flags Podcast, insisted that it makes no sense for Mercedes to destabilize their current team, where drivers like George Russell have already proven their worth.
“If he doesn’t like Red Bull, there are options, but none of them can pay what he asks or offer the car he wants,” he said. Steiner added that a signing of Verstappen involves significant expenses and would only be viable if Russell leaves the team.
In the current standings, Verstappen is in seventh place with 76 points, after losing the championship to Lando Norris of McLaren last year. The championship leader for the 2026 season is Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, with 179 points.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
