The Mercedes Formula 1 team has reached an understanding with Williams Racing’s James Vowles.
The Mercedes Formula 1 team has reached an understanding with Williams Racing’s James Vowles regarding the appointment of Max Verstappen, should the opportunity arise. If the Dutch driver moves to Mercedes, then Kimi Antonelli is set to join Williams, as reported by the German website Formel1.de.
Verstappen has been unexpectedly linked with a switch to Mercedes in recent days. Turmoil within Red Bull Racing is believed to have made the Dutchman open to a transfer. His manager and father, Raymond Vermeulen and Jos Verstappen, were spotted in Bahrain with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
Also, in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen hinted that his future at Red Bull is uncertain due to various issues within the team. A key factor is whether advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, who has announced he will stay with Red Bull, remains with the team.
Mercedes aims to benefit from the unrest within Red Bull
Although Marko has declared his stay at Red Bull, tensions are far from resolved. A meeting is scheduled in Dubai with, among others, Red Bull’s Thai shareholder to discuss the situation arising from the investigation into Horner’s alleged misconduct.
The question of Red Bull’s future direction and leadership remains open. Mercedes hopes to capitalize on this unrest and is already making behind-the-scenes preparations to secure Verstappen. The reigning world champion is seen as the ideal successor to the departing Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen to Mercedes, Antonelli to Williams
Antonelli was initially seen as the main candidate to replace Hamilton at Mercedes, but with Verstappen potentially available, Wolff naturally does not want to miss this opportunity. At the same time, Mercedes does not want to block the future of its own protégé, hence discussions have reportedly taken place with Williams’ Vowles.
According to Formel1.de, an agreement has been reached between the customer team and Mercedes: Verstappen will join Mercedes and Antonelli will develop at Williams. This arrangement would allow Mercedes to seize the chance to place Verstappen in their car, give Antonelli Formula 1 experience, and provide Williams with a promising driver.
