Formula 1 podium sitter and pundit Martin Brundle believes that there is a 'good chance' that Max Verstappen links up with Mercedes in the future.
The three-time champion's Red Bull future has been the subject of intense speculation all season, with rumours of a move to the Silver Arrows in motion for a few months.
These claims have been continually shot down by team boss Christian Horner, whilst Verstappen himself recently confirmed he would be in a Red Bull seat next season.
With his contract up in 2026, however, uncertainty still remains regarding his long-term plans.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has made no secret of his intention to sign the three-time champion as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, admitting before last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix that he was looking to 'convince' the 26-year-old to switch sides.
The Austrian has been embroiled in a long-running war of words with his Red Bull counterpart, recently labelling him as 'stupid' following Horner's latest comments on Mercedes' pursuit of his star man.
Christian Horner has been engaged in an ongoing war of words with Toto WolffMax Verstappen insists he is committed to Red Bull
Mercedes remain a realistic option
In the latest twist to the ongoing story, Sky Sports F1 pundit Brundle has delivered a confident prediction on where Verstappen's future lies.
When asked if the reigning champion could eventually line up alongside George Russell at Mercedes, he admitted: “At some point, I think there’s a good chance of that. Nobody’s got the crystal ball even available to them for 2026 yet.
“But my feeling, there’s a lot of talk in the paddock that Max can exit and go to Mercedes next year - I think that’s receding quite a lot.
"Then their question is: ‘Is Kimi Antonelli really ready to step into that spotlight alongside George and the works Mercedes team?'.
“There’s a lot of plate spinning and a lot of balls up in the air in terms of, we’ve got half a dozen drivers who haven’t yet sat down and obviously, Carlos Sainz now is the cork in that bottle, assuming Max is going to be at Red Bull.”
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