May 3, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Red Bull driver Max Verstappen (1) talks with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) after qualifying for the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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‘He Has Broken His Teammates’ – Formula 1 Analyst Warns Mercedes of the Risks of the Potential Max Verstappen Hiring!

Martin Brundle warns against the potential risks of having Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen may end up leaving Red Bull Racing in favour of Mercedes F1 according to the rumours. His pairing with the Silver Arrows is a heavily debated topic in Formula 1 currently. The general consensus around the story is that- Max and Mercedes are indeed talking about a future contract. Red Bull Racing recently, fired Christian Horner. The repercussions of his exit include Max Verstappen’s departure from Red Bull Racing.

Max Verstappen has been carrying Red Bull Racing alone for the past few seasons. The Dutchman has been the sole point scorer for Red Bull Racing for majority of the races. He has found many teammates beside him in the second seat, however, none could match his results. Verstappen is currently a lonely fighter at Red Bull Racing. The lack of input from his teammates is also a major reason for Red Bull’s lack of pace compared tot he competition. Formula 1 analyst, Martin Brundle, feels vary about Verstappen’s move to Mercedes considering his experience with other teammates.

Martin Brundle Considers Mercedes to Look at Max Verstappen’s Record Against His Teammates

For the past year, Max Verstappen has been a one-man-army for Red Bull Racing. Even in the 2025 season, there is a clear disparity between him and his teammate. Verstappen is out there fighting for poles and victories in hopes of claiming a fifth championship. On the other hand, his teammate is playing around at the back of the grid for a points finish once in a blue moon.

Martin Brundle thinks that his superiority in the car may end up taking down his teammate. Particularly, the young Kimi Antonellli who is the best prospect to become Max Verstappen’s teammate at Mercedes.

“I think Mercedes and Toto, in particular, are so invested in Kimi Antonelli as the future star, and I know that George has been making contact with other teams. Would they want to risk putting Antonelli, their future star, up against Max Verstappen? Max has broken a lot of team-mates because of speed. Would they want to lose George Russell? One of their own, who they manage.”

What would you if you were George? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Ja4q6iNiUu
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 4, 2025

“And Max comes with a little bit of baggage – it’s not the easiest group to handle. And he’s broken his team-mates. We’ll have to wait and see exactly how that plays out. But I can see why… if you’re running a Formula 1 team and Verstappen is in the marketplace, you’ve got to consider hiring him.”

Martin Brundle’s words echo as a stern warning to Mercedes F1. If they end up signing Max Verstappen, he will clearly want to be the first driver of the team. As a newbie, it will be devastating to Kimi Antonelli is he ends up losing out to Max Verstappen like his other teammates.

Surely, Mercedes will want to consider the future of their young star before they pit him beside a dominant driver like Max Verstappen.

Formula 1

Formula 1 2025 Season

Martin Brundle

Max Verstappen

Mercedes Formula 1 Team

Red Bull Racing

Rohan Singh

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.