Former Formula 1 driver and F1 TV pundit Jolyon Palmer is confident that conversations between Max Verstappen and Mercedes chief Toto Wolff will happen.
The four-time champion is currently facing reliability issues with his Red Bull machinery. He sits eighth in the drivers’ standings with eight points while Mercedes has dominated the start of the season. The Brackley outfit has won the two grands prix in Australia and China, and the Chinese sprint race.Â
Rumours circulated last season linking Verstappen to a move to Mercedes, but he eventually confirmed his commitment to Red Bull through 2026 and is under contract with the team until 2028. But, having seen the dominance of the Mercedes so far this season, Palmer is confident that conversations will likely take place between the two parties again.
“The conversation is going to happen because Red Bull, we said this last year, but they will not win the title this year,” Palmer said during the F1 Nation podcast.
“I was right in the end last year by two points. They look like they’ve got way too much work to do, and Max is not here to finish eighth in qualifying. He’s not here to not even fight for a podium.
“He’s going to be looking at a way to get into that Mercedes because they have the best car. They will, at the very least, be in the mix for being champions for the next couple of years as well.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
“And if you’re Toto, you’ve got a chance to sign Max, you’ve got the threat of other teams closing in. So your built-in advantage at the start of this year is only going to get smaller.
“You can’t ignore the fact that you’ve got Max Verstappen calling, and we saw already those conversations happen last year, and there was a bit of tension. It was Austria where in the press conference, George was like, ‘Well, hang on, why are we all talking that he’d replace me? I’m beating Kimi all the time. So, he should be worried.’
“So, imagine there’s the title looming and that in the background.”
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