As Red Bull boss Christian Horner continues to make clear, Verstappen is under contract with the team through 2028. This allows Horner to dismiss the discussion around a potential Verstappen move as noise, as he did during the Austrian Grand Prix. However, as this former lawyer will tell you, there is always a way out.

Red Bull F1 advisor Helmut Marko has given the go-ahead for Max Verstappen to meet with Mercedes regarding his future in the sport. The F1 team's star driver has claimed four championships in as many years, but in his hunt for a record-equalling fifth, Red Bull have failed to provide him with competitive machinery.