F1 pundit believes Max Verstappen "isn't a realistic candidate" for Mercedes amidst the team's recent struggles

F1 pundit Ben Anderson feels Max Verstappen is not a realistic target for Mercedes at the moment, particularly because of their recent woes.

Since Christian Horner was accused and investigated for inappropriate behavior, Red Bull has been at the center of various rumors. The situation worsened when an anonymous email leaked alleged conversations between Horner and the female employee who accused him.

Rumors about Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull for Mercedes emerged when his father Jos Verstappen publicly criticized Christian Horner and had a meeting with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

However, Mercedes has not been able to challenge for the world championship since the 2021 season. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the team was miles behind Red Bull and struggled with its car concepts after the change in technical regulations.

Speaking on the The Race F1 podcast, Anderson stated that Verstappen is not a realistic target for Mercedes. He added that the team should pick a driver from teams that are lower in the pecking order or look towards their protege Kimi Antonelli.

"Realistically, the state that Mercedes are in now, Max is not a realistic candidate for them. They are more likely to be looking at drivers further down the grid who are looking for a sideways step or a step up, or take the punt on who Toto thinks is the new Max Verstappen, this Antonelli kid," Anderson said.

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Jacques Villeneuve feels Mercedes team boss is simply annoying Red Bull by luring Max Verstappen

Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve is unable to imagine Max Verstappen moving to Mercedes, particularly after the infamous 2021 F1 season. He feels that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is simply messing with Red Bull by publicly speaking about pursuing the Dutch driver.

After rumors emerged that Verstappen could leave Red Bull to join Mercedes, Toto Wolff was quite vocal about the prospect and indirectly lured the three-time world champion. However, Villeneuve doesn't believe it is a possibility.

“I can’t imagine Toto Wolff wanting Max. The only way he would entertain the idea would just be to annoy Red Bull. I can’t see him at Mercedes because they lost the championship to Red Bull and Max. It would definitely not be because he really wanted Max. It would be more to do with wanting to get at Red Bull,” the former Canadian F1 driver said.

As of now, the 26-year-old is with Red Bull and dominating the 2024 F1 season. He is leading the drivers' championship with 51 points even after retiring from the Australian GP due to brake failure.