Verstappen reports for duty at Red Bull factory amid McLaren rumors

GPblog was the first to report last Tuesday that various sources in the paddock were pointing to an imminent announcement of a deal between the Dutchman and McLaren. For now, those involved are keeping quiet about the potential switch.

Verstappen can now decide whether to leave the team early. He can activate an exit clause in his contract after it became mathematically impossible for him to be at the top of the drivers' standings by the summer break. Verstappen would have to inform the team of his decision by October at the latest.

According to a report from Germany, Mark Mateschitz, Dietrich's son, no longer wants to keep Verstappen at all costs. Meanwhile, McLaren has the financial backing needed to fund the Dutchman's contract, thanks to its wealthy stakeholders and sponsors.

On Wednesday, Verstappen paid a visit to the Red Bull Racing factory in Milton Keynes. This comes after a disappointing weekend for the four-time world champion. Verstappen was on course to finish on the podium, but an issue with his rear wing caused him to end up in the gravel at Stowe through no fault of his own.

After the race, Verstappen did not mince his words. He said about his incident: "Well, at that point it's super dangerous, because you can really hurt yourself, two times. I was lucky in Austria and I was lucky here, but that's why you get really fed up with it."

According to him, finishing on the podium would have painted a false picture anyway.