Schumacher: 'McLaren is ready with an offer for Verstappen'

Speculation surrounding Verstappen's future has intensified since the British Grand Prix, with sources telling GPBlog that a move to McLaren is close to being announced. If the deal goes through, it would mark a seismic moment in the driver market. Verstappen would replace Oscar Piastri, as Mark Webber, the Australian’s manager, is said to be looking for a different employer for his client. McLaren denies that the Australian is unhappy at the team.

Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher claimed the relationship between Verstappen and Red Bull has been severely damaged, if not completely broken. He says Verstappen was heavily criticised internally for refusing to publicly rule out activating his exit clause during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, when key figures from the team were present. According to Schumacher, that has prompted Red Bull to start exploring alternatives as well.

Schumacher said he believes Verstappen remained committed to Red Bull's project until the very end and never truly wanted to leave the team. However, he argued the current situation has reached the point where there are no real excuses left, despite the team's repeated apologies. In his view, Verstappen will leave Red Bull, with both parties now seemingly at a stage where a split would no longer be particularly painful.

Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle believes Verstappen is likely to leave Red Bull at some stage, with a move either at the end of this season or the following one appearing increasingly plausible in his view. The former F1 driver suggested Verstappen could decide to pursue a fresh challenge elsewhere after spending so many years with the Milton Keynes-based team, potentially making the switch in either 2027 or 2028. Brundle drew comparisons with Lewis Hamilton, arguing that changing teams after such a long spell can provide a valuable reset and renewed motivation.

He also noted that Verstappen placed considerable trust in Red Bull's upcoming power unit project, a decision he believes has so far been justified.