On paper, Verstappen is a Red Bull driver next year and beyond. A Red Bull spokesperson said: "Max has a contract to 2028." And it's likely Verstappen could find a way out of his Red Bull contract if he really wanted to. For Verstappen, there are obvious reasons why a move away from Red Bull to Mercedes might seem attractive. This has come in the context of Red Bull losing their design legend Adrian Newey to Aston Martin, and long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber.