F1 News: Max Verstappen is available for free, why Mercedes and McLaren cannot mess this up

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is available for free, why Mercedes and McLaren cannot mess this up

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Tuesday 11 August 2026 12:27

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It is August 11, 2026 and Max Verstappen - the best driver on the F1 grid and at the peak of his brilliant powers - is a free agent.

Let that sink in for a second. You can sign a generational talent, one who overnight takes your chances of dominating the sport to a whole new level. And it doesn't cost you a thing?

The future of the mighty Dutchman remains the biggest talking point in F1 as the drivers and teams take a break from the title race to recharge their batteries.

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Verstappen's current Red Bull contract runs through to 2028 but he does have an exit clause - one which is now very officially active. It kicked in the moment he went into the summer break outside the top two in the championship standings.

You probably have to go back to the mid-1990s for another moment like this, when two-time world champion Michael Schumacher left Benetton to join the mighty Ferrari.

We know what happened next - Schumi claimed five more championships with the Scuderia and restored the iconic brand to its rightful place in terms of F1 relevance.

It is easy to see the potential for a repeat here, so why do we keep hearing that the likeliest Verstappen suitors Mercedes and McLaren are 'happy with their current driver lineups'?

Put simply, it makes no sense. If they are on the level, they risk messing up a golden opportunity very very badly.

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Verstappen fits the cap, there are 215million reasons to sign him

The first reason signing Verstappen is a no brainer is F1's much-publicised cost cap, and the way it works.

In sports like American football (the NFL really trailblazed the advent of the cap back in the 1990s) the players are the only thing measured. In F1 it is very very different.

Teams each have $215million to play with for the current season, but drivers do not count against that figure. Neither do the three highest-paid salaries (normally including team principal and chief technical officer).

So there is no fiscal roulette that comes with signing Verstappen, his presence does not mean a team has to weigh up spending on a driver or developing a car. His salary - significant though it would be - does not count a cent/a penny/a Euro against that cap figure.

Verstappen does not count against F1's cost cap.

Mercedes and McLaren are booming and the cash rolls in

The next reason why Mercedes and McLaren should not be put off about a Verstappen is their current financial performance, and that of the sport.

This is boom time for F1 and everybody who exists in the paddock bubble - the growth since Liberty Media's acquisition has been stratospheric.

Liberty - partly thanks to the advent of the 'Drive to Survive' era - has taken a previously under-commercialised asset and sweated it almost to the max. The results have been spectacular.

Mercedes recently lodged 2025 financial results which showed profits of £125.9million after taxation. The team is now also valued at a staggering £4.6billion after team principal Toto Wolff sold a 5 percent stake for £230million late last year.

McLaren meanwhile also showed very healthy numbers in their most recent filing with the UK's Companies House - culminating in £54m profits in 2024, a significant increase on 2023.

There are no books to be balanced here, they can afford Verstappen, this is the time to capitalise. Which takes us on to the commercial upside of a Max signing.

Business is booming for Zak Brown and Toto Wolff.

Verstappen can be a cash cow for his next team

Do we really think that signing Verstappen will not increase commercial potential for Mercedes or McLaren? If you've answered yes, you answered wrong.

The potential impact to Red Bull of losing their star asset is catastrophic. It hits merchandising and it hits sponsorship values and renewals.

The flip side is that his next team potentially adds significant revenues from merchandise sales plus new sponsorship deals and improved terms on renewals.

We've all heard about the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo joining his next football team, and we all remember the day Ferrari's stock market value spiked by $6billion when the signing of Lewis Hamilton was announced.

Ferrari's value spiked by $6billion when Lewis Hamilton signed.

Signing Verstappen at the peak of his powers has similar potential, it means his salary is small potatoes and it's an opportunity that neither of his main suitors can afford to pass up.

So is there a downside to signing Verstappen?

The only possible arguments against signing Verstappen are hurt feelings or team harmony. But in each case, do they really outweigh the positives?

If we look at those bruised egos, a move for Verstappen would likely mean George Russell leaving Mercedes or Oscar Piastri leaving McLaren. But wouldn't either one likely transporting into the lead role at Red Bull be enough to mitigate that?

In terms of team harmony (and those 'papaya rules'), when did F1 lose its brutal edge? Aren't we told that winning is everything and it is the toughest of games.

If it really is then there is not even a discussion to be had, signing Verstappen is a slam dunk and a no brainer. If Mercedes or McLaren don't, then somebody else will.

Just imagine if Verstappen waits another year before finally leaving Milton Keynes, and Ferrari - now ready for a new cycle after the Hamilton/Charles Leclerc era - pounce for his services. Imagine the regret for Wolff and Zak Brown.

That, quite simply, is the clincher. Sign Max, and do it now.

Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes McLaren