Max Verstappen urged to consider key McLaren factor in looming Red Bull decision

Guenther Steiner believes Max Verstappen would gain nothing by swapping Red Bull for McLaren, arguing the Woking-based team is simply not a significant enough upgrade to justify the upheaval of a move.

Verstappen's future has dominated the paddock in recent weeks, with the reported performance-based clause in his contract allowing the four-time F1 drivers' champion to leave the Laurent Mekies-led squad at the end of the season.

Sitting seventh in the standings with no mathematical way of breaching the top two by the summer break, it is understood Verstappen now has a window until October in which to activate the provision, despite the deal running until the end of 2028.

McLaren has emerged as the most frequently discussed — and most likely — destination, with exploratory talks having taken place between the team and Verstappen's camp.

But Steiner, the former Haas team principal, has urged the Dutchman to think carefully about what he would actually gain.

"I think that Max always keeps his eyes open for what is out there, but if Max does move on, then he needs to move on to a better team, and there are not many teams around better than Red Bull that would take him right now," the Italian said to 247Bet.

Ferrari and Mercedes off the table

With McLaren third in the constructors' championship on 179 points and Red Bull fourth on 128, there is a gap between the two outfits, but it is not the chasm that would make a move irresistible.

Steiner systematically worked through the alternative options, ruling out Ferrari and Mercedes before arriving at the crux of his argument.

"Most of these teams have got their driver line-up locked in for the next few years. So, a good team with a good driver line-up, like Ferrari or Mercedes, doesn't need Max right now. Because while Max comes with a lot of talent, he also comes with a big price tag as well," he said.

"As much as we say money doesn't matter, money always matters. So, first of all, how many opportunities are there for Max in one of the leading teams, and who actually has got a seat for him?

"Mercedes is pretty set at the moment with Kimi and with George. They've got a good pairing together. Bringing Max in there, what would he do? I think not a lot.

"Ferrari, with Lewis there and Charles. They've just re-signed Charles, so why would they let him go? And Lewis has got something left on his contract, so there's no big possibility with him there anytime soon."

The McLaren question

That leaves McLaren as the only realistic landing spot, and it is here that Steiner's central point takes shape.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both under long-term contracts, with Piastri's management publicly denying reports of any exit clause being triggered. For Verstappen to join, McLaren would need to break an existing agreement.

Steiner also pointed to Verstappen's influence within Red Bull, something he would struggle to replicate elsewhere.

That argument is complicated, however, by the Dutchman's frustrations at the British Grand Prix, where he was clearly displeased by the team not caving on his desire to make changes and start from the pit lane, which Mekies defended after the race.

"The only other place for Max to go could be McLaren, but at the moment, McLaren is not any better than Red Bull. So why would he leave what he knows, where he knows what he has got, where he knows that his voice is heard, and he has got a certain amount of power in the team? Why would he go somewhere else and risk losing that?" Steiner said.

"The McLaren team is not any better than where he is at Red Bull. So I think if you were to ask Max honestly, what do you think? I think he would say he would stay put.

"Sure, if there's something developing, he can always look. But at the moment, the best option for him is to stay where he is at Red Bull."