Verstappen mega offer, big Sainz deal close, Alonso crunch time - F1 Transfer Roundup

F1 Silly Season 2026 is now in full swing and we have all the latest news and rumours as the biggest chips start to fall this summer.

Our latest edition includes updates on Max Verstappen and Red Bull, Carlos Sainz's next move and what the market is saying about Fernando Alonso:

Red Bull offer Verstappen a five-year mega deal

Red Bull have offered Max Verstappen a lucrative new five-year deal according to reports from Germany.

Now as ever, silly season speculation comes with a health warning that it is for now unconfirmed, but Ralf Bach claims the 28-year-old Verstappen has a new deal on the table if he wants to sign it.

The four-time world champion has been linked with an exit to either Mercedes or McLaren, but he has always claimed his first preference would be to continue at Red Bull.

The big sticking point on a new deal though could be Verstappen's much-publicised exit clause. That's how we got here after all, it became active when he arrived at the summer break outside the top two in the championship standings.

Bach claims that Red Bull's offer, which would include a nice pay rise, would though include the removal of that controversial clause.

Speaking on YouTube, he explained: “He’s unlikely to give up his escape clause unless absolutely necessary. If he does agree to a new deal, he’d probably lean toward a one-year contract rather than sacrificing that option."

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Carlos Sainz 'set to sign' massive contract before Dutch Grand Prix

The future of Carlos Sainz remains one of the hottest topics of silly season 2026, with the 31-year-old Spaniard being linked with both Audi and Red Bull (should Verstappen exit stage left).

RacingNews365 now report though that an agreement for a Williams extension is likely to be reached and announced before F1 comes back from its summer break this weekend.

Sainz is set to be given a 'significantly improved' salary to stay with the struggling team, with some reports circulating that he could more than double the €13m a year he currently earns.

Sergio Perez had previously been linked with a switch to replace the Spaniard if a move elsewhere was to materialise.

Williams confirm Albon extension

Williams do at least have one half of their 2027 lineup now in place after confirming on Tuesday that British star Alex Albon has signed a new deal.

The 30-year-old star will continue to drive for Williams in 2027 despite the team's struggles so far in 2026.

He explained: “Since joining Atlassian Williams F1 Team in 2022, the transformation this team has made is difficult to put into words.

"One tough year doesn’t tell the full picture, and it only gives me more motivation to keep building and pushing together with the factory and our fans to achieve great things.

"Our story is not over yet, so my full focus now is on doing whatever it takes to get us back up the grid.”

All eyes on Honda as Alonso considers future

One of the biggest subplots of Dutch Grand Prix week will be that long-awaited Honda power unit upgrade at Aston Martin, which could decide the F1 future of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard turned 45 in late July, and now has one last major career decision to make before he ends a glorious run as an F1 driver. Does he sign a new Aston deal, does he move teams (potentially to reunite with Flavio Briatore at Alpine) or does he retire?

The prevailing sentiment is that Alonso is looking closely at what Honda bring to Zandvoort this weekend as a key factor in his decision. He wants to be sure the team can fight for race wins and championships if he commits for at least another year.

The hope/belief is that the Honda upgrade delivers another half a second in lap time for Aston Martin, which would take them closer to a proper midfield fight. Would that be enough for Alonso to believe they are legit for 2027 and beyond?

Former Red Bull star Tsunoda linked with stunning US switch

Former Red Bull F1 star Yuki Tsunoda has been linked with a stunning switch to IndyCar after losing his spot on the grid last season, replacing a driver who has been poached by McLaren.

Tsunoda currently remains in the Red Bull stable, serving as the test and reserve driver for both their senior and junior team, but now he has been linked with a full-time return to the cockpit.

According to Motorsport.com, the Japanese driver is vying for a drive in IndyCar, namely the No. 66 at Meyer Shank Racing.

Meyer Shank Racing currently runs with Honda engines, and the team are set to have a vacancy in their No. 66 heading into 2027.

Marcus Armstrong currently pilots that car, but he is set to move into the No. 60 next year, replacing the outgoing Felix Rosenqvist, who has signed a multi-year deal with McLaren's IndyCar outfit.

Tsunoda has also previously been linked with a return to the F1 grid in recent months, with Haas reportedly one team considering him as an option for next season.

2027 grid as it stands with 13 spots still open

As it stands there are only nine drivers with cast-iron confirmed spots for 2027 (if they want them). That means 13 are still open, with the grid looking like this:

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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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