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Max Verstappen has been warned against a potential 2026 move to Mercedes by the 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button. The latter has questioned whether the car would be developed around Verstappen, just like he has been used to at Red Bull.
The Milton Keynes-based team has revolved around Max Verstappen for several years. He has brought the outfit the most number of accolades since 2021, and while his various teammates have struggled over the year, he has thrived in Red Bull challengers.
Moreover, during the ongoing campaign, the 27-year-old has been able to extract strong performances from the inconsistent RB21, whereas his teammate Yuki Tsunoda has struggled.
In line with the various reports linking Max Verstappen to the Toto Wolff-led Mercedes F1 team for 2026, Jenson Button said, via The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X:
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"It’s a tricky one for Max, because he’s in a position where he’s doing so well with Red Bull – they’ve given him so much over the years. They’ve designed this car around him, and he’s extremely good at it. Nobody can match him in that car. They’re so far off him. I mean, him qualifying third or fourth, and them qualifying 18th."
Button further added:
“If he goes to Mercedes, it’s a different thing altogether. You know, that car is not going to be designed around him. So, is it going to work for him? I don’t know."
Max Verstappen has been making his trade with the Red Bull F1 team since 2016. He has so far amassed four world championships with the outfit and is easily one of the top drivers on the modern grid. While he is continuously getting linked to Mercedes, his current deal will expire in 2028.
Jenson Button deems replacing George Russell with Max Verstappen a 'strange move'
Max Verstappen, being the top driver that he is, has always been on the radar of the top Formula 1 teams. Amid Red Bull's 2025 struggles, he has been linked with Mercedes, and Jenson Button felt that it was 'tough' on George Russell.
The Brit's current deal with the German team is set to come to a close at the end of the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP. In line with the speculation of Mercedes potentially dropping Russell in favor of Verstappen for 2026, Button added:
"It’s a tough one on George, because George is at the top of his game. I think he’s been so competitive. When you see what he did against Lewis [Hamilton] in the last few years, he is World Championship material. So, to replace him with Max, it just seems like a strange move."
George Russell has been performing at an exceptionally high level during the 2025 Formula 1 season. He amassed a Grand Prix win in the Canadian Grand Prix and is among the few drivers other than the McLaren duo to have a victory.
Russell's rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli has so far had an average season and has made quite a few on-track mistakes. Russell is on 147 points, whereas the former is only on 63 in the Drivers standings.
It will be fascinating to see who among the two will eventually get the chop in case Max Verstappen is brought on board.
