Planet F1 has a new driver-market twist: Max Verstappen’s management held preliminary talks with Zak Brown during the Austrian Grand Prix. The talks came while Verstappen remains under contract to Red Bull into 2028, with his long-term future now being discussed around a clause that could open a move in 2026.
Zak Brown Meeting
The meeting took place after Brown was approached. The report was published on the Thursday of the Austrian Grand Prix, and The Race understands that the talks did happen. This was not framed as an immediate push for Oscar Piastri’s seat at McLaren for 2027, which keeps the focus on a wider market move rather than a direct swap.
Verstappen’s position is more complicated than a simple contract headline. His Red Bull deal runs into 2028, but it includes a clause that allows him to exit if he is not inside the top two in the drivers’ championship at some unspecified point in August 2026. There is also believed to be a mechanism that means he does not have to notify Red Bull that the clause is being activated until October.
Red Bull Contract Pressure
That timing keeps the pressure on Red Bull without forcing an immediate decision. Verstappen’s average qualifying position so far in 2026 stands at 7.4, and his best qualifying in the first three races was eighth in China. Those numbers matter because the clause turns championship position into a gatekeeper for his next move, not just his current seat.
The discussion with McLaren comes against a driver line-up picture that is already largely set for 2027. Charles Leclerc has extended with Ferrari into the 2030s. Lewis Hamilton has a contract for 2027 and is understood to hold an option for 2028 too. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both understood to be under contract for next season at least, while George Russell is staying at Mercedes and Mercedes has already announced George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2026.
Mercury on the Market
That leaves Verstappen’s camp working a market where the obvious seats are mostly spoken for. Toto Wolff was widely understood to be keeping his options open in case Verstappen became available, but Mercedes and Russell insisted there was a multi-year agreement beyond the end of this season, and Kimi Antonelli will certainly be on some kind of long-term agreement after his 2025 graduation to F1.
Flavio Briatore has already said he was waiting on any possible Mercedes driver availability before deciding Alpine’s 2027 lineup. For Verstappen, the practical next step is simpler: keep the 2026 championship position close enough to protect the clause, while McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and Alpine all wait to see whether October turns a preliminary conversation into something real.
