Marko plays down Verstappen’s Mercedes sim drive

Jul.8 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s future in Formula 1 could be set to dominate yet another week of headlines.

There was both hope and disappointment for Red Bull at Silverstone, as the quadruple world champion won pole but then suffered in the slippery British GP.

Embattled team boss Christian Horner was in the front seat of the rollercoaster ride, according to the well-connected Dutch newspaper De Limburger.

“Without question,” the report insisted, Horner will now have to face the disapproval of team owners Mark Mateschitz and Chalerm Yooviddhya, who were reportedly promised a major step forward with the latest car upgrades.

Some think Horner is once again fighting for his top job at the F1 team, amid obvious car, technical and personnel problems, and the risk that Verstappen is walking away to Mercedes.

Sport1 even claims Horner had yet another argument with Max’s father Jos.

Ralf Schumacher says he has noticed a shift in 27-year-old Verstappen’s attitude recently. “I think he has distanced himself a bit more,” he told Sky Deutschland.

“Even though qualifying was good, he is realising more and more that Red Bull is just not that good anymore.”

De Telegraaf journalist Erik van Haren agrees.

“You notice behind the scenes that the pressure on Horner is increasing,” he said.

Former F1 driver Christijan Albers agrees: “The problem is that Verstappen is their greatest asset. You could almost say that they are doomed without him.

“And if Max leaves, I see no reason how Horner can stay,” added Albers, who thinks Verstappen will make his choice between Red Bull or Mercedes for 2026 and beyond within the next two weeks.

Sim-racing fanatics even noticed that Verstappen apparently streamed himself at the wheel of a virtual Formula 1 car over the Silverstone weekend – in a silver Mercedes.

“I didn’t notice that,” advisor Dr Helmut Marko insisted to Osterreich newspaper.

“But why shouldn’t he? In real life, Max usually drives an Aston Martin, a Ferrari, or an Audi. So it doesn’t matter if he also drives a Mercedes.”

Some suggest that Red Bull’s strongest argument in favour of retaining Verstappen is that he has so much personal freedom with the brand – and a matching personality.

“Does Max fit a brand like Mercedes in terms of character and personality?” asked well-known Dutch sports marketer Bob van Oosterhout. “No, not at all,” he told Formule 1.

“But that’s exactly why he fits so well. Opposites attract.”

On that matter, Marko is not being drawn.

“He could be in talks,” the 82-year-old Austrian admitted. “But there are no current developments.”

Marko maintains his line that Verstappen cannot sign a Mercedes deal for 2026 because no performance-related clauses in his existing contract have been triggered.

“That’s exactly right,” he confirmed.

Marko thinks a final round of car upgrades at Spa could bring Verstappen back into contention for pole and victory.

“Yes,” he said, “but the world championship is still over.

“It’s now just between (Lando) Norris and (Oscar) Piastri, although Norris has made an impressive comeback with two sensational races.”

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