Rumor from the F1 paddock: 'Verstappen wants to leave Red Bull for McLaren'

Last Monday, GPblog received several messages from independently operating sources. One by one, they claimed to have heard in the F1 paddock that Verstappen is on his way to McLaren. They added that they were not entirely certain. So don’t take it as fact just yet, as a disclaimer was attached.

If Verstappen were to leave Red Bull Racing, it would still come as a major surprise. The Dutchman achieved all of his success with the Austrian outfit and seemed inseparable from the team. On the other hand, there has been frustration for some time about the direction the team has taken. Verstappen is also very angry about the rear wing malfunction, which led to a second crash in as many F1 weekends. Reportedly, all the pent-up frustration led to an outburst of anger from Verstappen during the debrief after the British Grand Prix.

Verstappen's DNF at the British Grand Prix means he can no longer be in the top two of the world championship by the summer break, allowing him to activate a clause to terminate his current contract without any issue. He would have until mid-October to do so, but judging by rumors in the F1 paddock, the decision to proceed has already been made. It is also very important to note that Verstappen's camp, Red Bull Racing, and McLaren all deny stories regarding the rumored switch.

Once Verstappen has made his choice for 2027, a domino effect on the driver market will undoubtedly follow. In that case, it stands to reason that Oscar Piastri would look for a new employer after McLaren, especially on a day when a rumor from Brazil emerged that he wants to leave. That seems premature, because why would Piastri terminate his contract if there is (as yet) no seat available at another top team?

Behind the top teams, a real carousel could then get underway. Don’t be surprised if drivers like Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon suddenly attract interest from other teams, even if those teams currently have no seats available. But that is all part of the major shifts that Verstappen could set in motion—at least if the rumblings in the F1 paddock prove accurate.