Mercedes sense clear Max Verstappen opportunity with ‘look good in silver’ tease

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with the Mercedes F1 logo.

Mercedes-Benz Group chairman and CEO Ola Källenius thinks Max Verstappen “would look good in silver”, particularly once Formula 1’s rules reshuffle happens in F1 2026.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend that talks with Verstappen are not currently taking place, having initially made him their top target to replace Lewis Hamilton at the team next season.

Mercedes chairman: Max Verstappen ‘would look good in silver’

Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until F1 2028, having signed a mega contract extension with the team after winning his first title in 2021, but the competitive order is almost certain to change in Formula 1’s regulations reset in F1 2026.

The three-time World Champion will still likely be the most sought-after driver on the market at that time, too, should he become available at any time before the end of his deal.

Mercedes chairman Källenius senses an “opportunity” to put the team back at the front of the field when the sport’s rules reset, with the Mercedes power unit potentially a decisive factor in the team’s performance among the huge regulation changes.

Red Bull are creating their own power units for the first time from F1 2026 in partnership with Ford, with a plethora of unknowns heading into the sport’s new era.

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And if Mercedes are able to re-establish themselves at the top of the pack again, he teased the possibility of trying to bring Verstappen to the team.

“The best driver wants to have the best car. And that’s our job, to bring the best package together,” Källenius told Sky Germany.

“The cards will be reshuffled in 2026. New order with new rules. That’s also an opportunity. Who knows.

“But I think Max would look good in silver, wouldn’t he?”

In the here and now, Wolff confirmed that Mercedes’ driver search may well extend later into the season, with the team looking to assess all their options before making a decision on Hamilton’s replacement.

Junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli remains among the candidates to join the grid next season, while Wolff explained that the team are likely to wait before making a final call.

“We want to go in a completely new generation. If it is with Kimi or see what Max does,” Wolff told DAZN in Barcelona.

“I didn’t want to have Carlos wait anymore. I think we may take a decision in November.

“Carlos is a race winner in Ferrari but it all came down to the decision that Ferrari said: ‘We want to have Lewis Hamilton in the car for next year.'”