P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes may have already convinced Max Verstappen to join, Johnny Herbert suspects.
Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes Max Verstappen has been convinced to join Mercedes amid speculation and intrigue surrounding Red Bull.
Verstappen, holding talks with Mercedes, may switch to the Silver Arrows if he can trigger an exit clause from his Red Bull contract ending in 2028.
He met with Toto Wolff in Sardinia last week, and Herbert suggests Max is swayed by Mercedes’ plans for F1’s rule reset and their strong performance.
Mercedes likely used a similar approach in pursuing Verstappen as when they signed Lewis Hamilton from McLaren in 2012, enticing him with future car performance.
Max might be feeling the pressure to leave Red Bull due to frustrations with the team’s development and time constraints in F1.
