Can Verstappen really leave Red Bull? "Then he'll automatically be locked in for another year"

Verstappen's future is currently a major topic of discussion. Earlier, the Italian division of Sky Sports claimed that the move of the four-time world champion to the Silver Arrows was already certain, which GPblog has since been able to debunk. Nonetheless, rumours persist unabated.

In the paddock in Austria, Verstappen's future was the hot topic of conversation, Saward also noticed. He emphasised in his Green Notebook that there can only be one logical reason why Mercedes hasn't extended Russell's contract yet: there must be a better driver available.

Saward added that Mercedes would not wait for Verstappen without good reason, leading to the only logical conclusion that there must be a way to lure the four-time champion away from Milton Keynes.

"I've been asking around about this for a while, and I've come to the conclusion that if Red Bull is not in third place in the constructors' championship by the end of July, Max might be able to leave." But: "If the team is in third place, then he is automatically locked in for another year."

Should Verstappen decide to leave the Red Bull team, then according to Saward, they would face turbulent times. "If he leaves, all hell will break loose in Milton Keynes. In such a case, you can only imagine that Red Bull would abandon the idea of promoting young players who are not yet ready, and instead sign George."