Mercedes recently made a secret approach to sign Max Verstappen but were immediately knocked back, according to Ralf Schumacher. Verstappen remains tied down to Red Bull until 2028 but has been linked with a premature exit. Reports have suggested that a break clause would allow the Dutchman to leave ahead of schedule if Red Bull fail to meet certain performance requirements.
It is no secret that Mercedes are huge fans of Verstappen, with Toto Wolff having openly entertained the idea of signing him in recent years. He has been touted as the most likely replacement for George Russell, given that Kimi Antonelli looks set to remain with the Silver Arrows for many years to come.
Schumacher's Claims
Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher claimed that Mercedes have already approached Verstappen with a contract offer, but it was immediately rejected due to its financial conditions. Quizzed on the prospect of Verstappen leaving Red Bull in the near future, the German said: "There’s no spot at Ferrari right now and at Mercedes, you hear that Wolff has made him an offer behind the scenes. But that offer was apparently so bad financially that it’s not an option anyway. That’s apparently what’s going on behind the scenes right now."
Schumacher went on to suggest that Mercedes' alleged low-ball offer to Verstappen may have been a deliberate ploy. "I believe this is intentional," he added. "I’ve said it before: why would Wolff bring in the expensive Max Verstappen alongside Kimi Antonelli, the next superstar if everything goes according to plan? Then he’d have two drivers on the team fighting each other. He remembers that well from the days of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. That’s the last thing you want. Above all, he’d be putting Kimi at risk, so that actually makes no sense at all."
Verstappen's Agent Confirms Release Clause
It comes after Verstappen's agent, Raymond Vermeulen, confirmed that his contract does include a release clause which could even be activated before the summer break. Vermeulen told German media: "We want the decision made soon so everyone knows where they stand. It could be made before the summer break. We have a contract until 2028. Of course, there are release clauses, there always have been, but we’ve never exercised one. We’ve always been loyal, and we will remain so."
