Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen has admitted that he would be open to moving to Mercedes despite their “very different environment”, if they changed things especially for him.
Since joining Formula 1 in 2015, Verstappen has been with the Red Bull family.
He drove for Toro Rosso for just over a season in 2015, before being promoted to the main Red Bull team at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix to replace a demoted Daniil Kvyat.
Verstappen has remained at Red Bull ever since and is now on the brink of a third consecutive Drivers’ Championship.
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The two-time World Champion is currently in the early stages of a long-term lucrative deal with the Milton Keynes-based side, which is due to expire at the end of 2028.
He’s hinted that he could retire come the end of his deal, should further changes be made to the sport’s format.
If he were to remain in F1 though, then most would expect him to just stay at Red Bull, should they still boast the strongest package.
Despite being contracted to Red Bull for so long, he was recently asked if he’d ever consider a move to rivals Mercedes.
Whilst very unlikely, Verstappen would be open to moving to a ‘corporate’ outfit like Mercedes if they adapted their environment to suit him, with the Dutchman believing that if any team truly wanted him, then they’d be prepared to make adjustments.
“That’s indeed a very different environment,” Verstappen told De Telegraaf. “It’s always important to stay true to yourself and keep speaking your mind. It doesn’t matter to me where that is.
“If a team really wants me in such a situation, they will also make an effort, and you can probably adapt certain things to some extent. You sort of meet halfway.”
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Whilst a move to Mercedes isn’t impossible, having Lewis Hamilton as a team-mate is.
Verstappen admitted that having Hamilton alongside him is “not even on the table”.
“Currently, this is not even on the table,” he stated. “In the past, I could never have imagined achieving this level of success. I dreamt of reaching Formula 1 and perhaps driving for a top team someday.”