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According to Sky Sports F1’s Simon Lazenby, Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull will cause “chaos” in the Formula 1 driver market.
Sky Sports News Verstappen’s camp opened talks with McLaren last week and Red Bull boss Laurent Mackies admitted his team needed to prove to the Dutchman that he should not switch teams for 2027.
Verstappen has a Red Bull contract until the end of 2028 but has an exit clause in his contract that allows him to join another team in 2027 if he is outside the top two positions in the drivers’ championship at the start of this season’s summer break in August.
With three races remaining before the summer break, Verstappen is seventh in the standings, 58 points behind second-placed George Russell, who is 40 points behind his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
In its latest episode The F1 showLazenby said: “The key is Max Verstappen. If someone takes Max, the whole thing is chaos again.”
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Laurent Mackies discusses Verstappen’s future at Red Bull
Verstappen leaving Red Bull will have ramifications for the rest of the grid as a seat at one of F1’s top teams is up for grabs.
A swap between Oscar Piastre and Verstappen could happen, with Red Bull also considering signing Carlos Sainz from Williams or promoting Britain’s Arvid Lindblad from Racing Bulls.
‘Everybody’s doing their job’
Asked on the grid ahead of Sunday’s race at the Austrian Grand Prix whether Verstappen could find a home at McLaren, team chief executive Jack Brown didn’t completely dismiss the idea.
“I would be very surprised if Lando or Oscar went anywhere else because they are so happy,” Brown said Sky Sports F1.
“Obviously we got the deal, but, other than that, aside from the deals, we’re very happy with them, and they’re very happy here.
“If for some strange reason someone gets out of the tub and slips on a banana peel, then of course Max is a four-time world champion.”
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Jacques Braun shares his thoughts on how likely Verstappen’s move to McLaren would be
Sky Sports F1’s David Croft said it was natural for Brown to talk to other drivers in his role as chief executive.
“I don’t think Zak is saying, ‘I want to get rid of Lando’, or ‘I want to get rid of Oscar,’ but as a CEO of one of the top teams and the defending constructor champion, you’ve got to know what’s out there, and you have to have that kind of conversation,” he said.
“That said, I’m not sure if I was Oscar Piastre or managing him I would have been very amused that Jack was having this conversation because the assumption is that if Max comes in, Oscar will lead the way because Lando won that world championship.
“Having said that, there will probably be a seat for Oscar Piastre at Red Bull, and he could make a direct swap.”
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Verstappen believes it is too early to tell if Red Bull are back on the charge after finishing second at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok added: “I think there is a point where everyone is actually doing their job.
“(Verstappen’s manager) Raymond Vermeulen’s job is to look at every option available to his client. Jacques’ job is to see if the number one driver is available on the grid, and so should every other team principal.
“If you’re Jacques, if you’re Fred (Vassiur), if you’re the head of any other team, you should talk to Raymond Vermeulen and find out what the story is.”
Sky Sports F1’s British GP schedule
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Take a look back at some of the year’s most dramatic moments at the British Grand Prix
Thursday, July 2
2pm: Drivers press conference
6pm: The F1 Show
Friday, July 3
7.40am: F1 Academy practice
8.45am: Exercised F3
9.55am: F2 practice
12.00pm: British GP Practice (Session starts at 12.30pm)*
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying*
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying*
3.35pm: British GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 4.30pm)*
5.55pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
Saturday 4 July
9.30am: F3 Sprint*
11am: British GP Sprint Build-up*
12pm: British GP Sprint*
1.40pm: F2 Sprint*
2.50pm: British GP Qualifying Build-up*
4pm: British GP Qualifying*
6pm: F1 Academy Race 1
6.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday, July 5
8.20am: F3 Feature Race*
9.55am: F1 Academy Race 2*
11.10am: F2 Feature Race*
12.55pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up*
3pm: British Grand Prix*
5pm: Checkered flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook
*Also on Sky Sports main events
Next up is the big one of the 2026 Formula 1 season, the Sprint Weekend at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix – races from Thursday to Sunday at 3pm with live coverage on Sky Sports F1 and Sky One. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime
