Max Verstappen is in the "final phase" of negotiations to sign for McLaren, according to the British portal Planet F1 , a piece of news that would shake up the Formula 1 driver market and put an end to the four time champion's relationship with Red Bull. The Austrian team and the Dutch driver would be going through a moment of maximum tension after the poor results of the 2026 season, where the RB22 has not lived up to expectations.

The relationship between Verstappen and Red Bull would be "very deteriorated," according to sources consulted by Planet F1, and in the Dutchman's environment, they would have lost faith in the Milton Keynes project. The lack of competitiveness of the car and the team's inability to offer him a car that allows him to fight for wins would be weighing on the driver's decision, who has never hidden his desire to compete for a team that guarantees him a competitive car.

The signing of Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen's race engineer, by McLaren would be a key factor in the negotiations. The Woking team recently announced the addition of the engineer who has worked side by side with the Dutchman for years and is a person of his utmost trust, that is why Lambiase's presence at McLaren could be the decisive factor for Verstappen to decide to make the jump to the papaya team.

The hypothetical arrival of Verstappen to McLaren would trigger a domino effect in the driver market, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are the two main drivers of the team, but the chosen one to leave would be the Australian, who would go to Red Bull. Mark Webber, Piastri's representative, has a strong connection with the Austrian team and would look favorably on his pupil's arrival at the energy drink team.

Verstappen, who has been one of the fiercest critics of the new F1 regulations, has not hidden his discontent with the direction the category has taken. The Dutchman has threatened on several occasions to leave F1 if no changes are made, and his departure from Red Bull would be the first step towards a new stage in his career. McLaren, which has proven to be a competitive team in recent seasons, would be the ideal destination for a driver looking to fight for the championship again .

Verstappen's future remains uncertain, but the information from Planet F1 suggests that the Dutchman is about to make a decision that could change the F1 landscape for the coming years .

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