Guenther Steiner believes Max Verstappen could join Mercedes in 2026, as Toto Wolff is keen on securing the reigning world champion’s signature and keeping his options open for the new regulation changes. Mercedes has already signed Kimi Antonelli and George Russell for the 2025 season following Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari under Fred Vasseur. However, with both drivers’ contracts expiring at the end of 2025, Wolff has flexibility for 2026.

While Mercedes’ power units are an attractive draw for Verstappen, Aston Martin and Honda, with whom he has past connections, are also potential contenders for his next move. According to Steiner on the *Red Flags* podcast, he sees Verstappen joining Mercedes, though the Dutch driver has several options. If Verstappen does leave Red Bull, Christian Horner has internal options like Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda but is also open to looking beyond the team’s current driver pool for 2026.