Red Bull sent double blow alert over Max Verstappen exit to Mercedes

Red Bull has been warned by former F1 driver Martin Brundle over a double blow impact of losing Max Verstappen to rivals Mercedes.

Verstappen has long been linked with a switch to the Brackley-based squad, however the rumours gathered further pace this week following a report from Italian media that concrete negotiations were underway between the two parties.

Sitting 61 points down on championship leader Oscar Piastri, Verstappen faces a huge uphill battle in an effort to pull himself into title contention.

With a fresh set of technical regulations coming into play next year and Mercedes tipped to enter the new era in strong fashion, it has been labelled as a potential destination for Verstappen amid Red Bull's dip in form.

Although Verstappen has a deal with Red Bull until 2028, performance clauses are believed to be included in the contract - meaning any potential exit will likely go through a regulatory body.

"You have a thing called the Contract Recognition Board in F1 where everybody's contract is lodged centrally in Switzerland, and any disputes are handled like that,” Brundle told Sky F1.

"But can you keep an unhappy driver in the seat?”

Brundle suggested Mercedes could be motivated by poaching Red Bull's key asset for strong results, as the driver in the second seat has struggled for performance across the last handful of years.

"From Mercedes' point of view, it would not only give them the fastest driver on the grid right now, it also takes him away from Red Bull,” Brundle added.

"And if you took Verstappen out of Red Bull's results in recent seasons, that would look pretty dire."