Coulthard reacts hilariously to Will Buxton's cryptic social media post

A few days ago, the former F1 TV presenter and current Fox Sports IndyCar broadcaster sparked widespread speculation on social media after hinting that a major announcement was expected before the end of the day: “Hearing a big announcement is on the way before the end of the day. If it is what I think it is, it’s absolutely massive.”

Given his close ties to Formula 1 and the ongoing rumours surrounding Max Verstappen, many F1 fans naturally assumed the post was linked to the Dutchman's future. Buxton later clarified that his cryptic message had actually referred to Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist joining McLaren's IndyCar programme.

Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Buxton admitted he had been surprised that so many people immediately linked his post to Max Verstappen. He explained that the cryptic message had actually referred to McLaren's announcement later that day, describing it as a major story in the IndyCar world.

“What I didn't expect was for people to automatically assume it was about Max Verstappen. And then McLaren announced it later on in the day that, sure enough, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist, who won the Indy 500 this year, have moved to McLaren. And it's big news in the IndyCar world. The hope was that it would get eyeballs on this massive announcement for IndyCar.”

After hearing Buxton's explanation, David Coulthard took the opportunity to point out the impressive numbers generated by the post, joking that next time he should either tag him personally or, even better, tag the podcast.

The former F1 driver believes Verstappen and Red Bull are now on course to part ways at the end of the season, with speculation over a move to McLaren continuing to intensify. According to Schumacher, Red Bull was disappointed that Verstappen never publicly ruled out activating his exit clause, a situation he believes prompted the team to begin exploring alternative options. He also referred to reports suggesting Oscar Piastri has lost confidence in McLaren, while adding that the Woking-based team is interested in Verstappen despite the contractual complications involved.

Schumacher also argued that Verstappen remained committed to the Red Bull project for as long as possible and had no genuine desire to leave the team. However, he believes recent events have changed the situation completely, with apologies from within the team no longer enough to repair the relationship. In his view, a split at the end of the season now appears inevitable, with both Verstappen and Red Bull having reached a point where going their separate ways would no longer be a painful decision.