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There may be a mega-transfer coming up in Formula One. According to various media, Mercedes has made a very lucrative offer to multiple world champion Max Verstappen. He no longer feels completely at home with his current Red Bull team. The question is whether Mercedes can convince Verstappen that their car will be good enough to compete for the world title.

In the news: It's the British side The Sun which first came out with the rumor about Max Verstappen's possible transfer to Mercedes. In fact, the German racing stable is said to have a contract ready for €150 million a year. That's about three times what the Dutchman currently earns at Red Bull.

  • According to SunSport, Verstappen is already not reluctant to such a transition. His father Jos and manager Raymond Vermeulen are said to have planned a meeting with the three owners of Mercedes' Formula One team in the near future. They are team boss Toto Wolff, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius and businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, known for Ineos.

Turmoil at Red Bull

A possible departure of Max Verstappen at Red Bull does not come as a complete surprise. The still only 26-year-old Dutchman has won three world titles with the Austrian racing stable over the past three years and is also in the lead this season. Still, a lot is moving at Red Bull.

  • It all started several months ago with accusations against team boss Christian Horner over inappropriate behavior toward a female colleague. Although Horner was acquitted, that case is said to have thoroughly affected the atmosphere within Red Bull.
  • Those problems caused Adrian Newey to decide to leave Red Bull. The 65-year-old engineer is a true genius when it comes to aerodynamics and, according to many experts, the driving force behind the success of the cars with which Verstappen has achieved all his successes. Presumably, Newey will leave for Ferrari to try to help Lewis Hamilton to another title next year.

Mercedes

Max Verstappen still has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but provided a hefty fee he could get out from under it. So if Mercedes is willing to pay enough, they could theoretically recruit the Dutchman as their new driver for 2025.

Beyond the financial, however, Verstappen will be looking primarily at the sporting. Mercedes' car has not been strong enough to compete for the world title in recent years. So the German racetrack will have to convince him that they can be competitive again next year, otherwise any contract will not suffice for his signature.

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