Max Verstappen F1: ‘Mercedes prepared to offer Verstappen highest salary ever in F1’

Max Verstappen is reportedly in talks with the Mercedes F1 team to discuss a possible switch. If the three-time world champion were to leave Red Bull Racing, he would appear to be one of them Silver arrows to make significant progress financially.

We have now completed five Grands Prix in the 2024 Formula 1 season, but the rumblings at Red Bull that surfaced in February have still not calmed down. Team boss Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior towards a female colleague and after an independent investigation, Red Bull GmbH rejected the complaint, but then alleged WhatsApp photos of the conversations were leaked. The employee has also filed an official complaint with the FIA ​​and her appeal is being heard by the King’s Council in the United Kingdom.

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Newey may leave Red Bull

Adrian Newey, the chief designer and technical director (CTO) of Red Bull Racing, does not want to deal with the background fuss and politics surrounding it. The 65-year-old Briton just wants to be able to do the work he is so passionate about in peace. Before his time at Red Bull, Newey was active at McLaren, but left the team from Woking precisely because of political games. According to the usually well-informed sources of Auto Motor und Sport and the BBC he will soon resign from the energy drink manufacturer. Then Red Bull will have to do without the brains behind so many dominant F1 cars. Max Verstappen could take advantage of Newey’s possible move to quit his current employer by also leaving Red Bull.

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After Miami around the table

Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull that runs until 2028, but it would contain a clause that he can leave earlier if there are major changes at the top of the team. He is now linked to Mercedes and according to F1 Insider After the Miami Grand Prix, manager Raymond Vermeulen, father Jos Verstappen and Max himself will sit down with Mercedes-Benz chairman Ola Källenius, INEOS CEO Jim Ratcliffe and Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff. The three owners of the German racing team could offer a total of 150 million euros per year to Verstappen. The salary of Lewis Hamilton, who will leave for Ferrari after this year, will be released and an additional 100 million euros would become available from the profit the team made last season.

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Mega deal

It is reportedly a long-term contract in which Verstappen would be given the opportunity to become an ambassador of the brand until the end of his career. In addition, Mercedes would also like to bring in Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko, to whom Verstappen is loyal, to further convince the Limburger to accept the deal. If he is offered 150 million euros per year from Mercedes, Verstappen’s contract will be worth considerably more than Hamilton’s. The seven-time world champion would join the Silver arrows earn just over 50 million euros per year.

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