Max Verstappen to Mercedes talks are inevitable, according to Jolyon Palmer

Jolyon Palmer, former F1 driver and pundit, has reignited rumours linking Max Verstappen to Mercedes that resurfaced last season.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer bluntly claimed that “the conversation is going to happen”.

Rumours sparked in 2025

Red Bull’s troubles at the start of last season began to appear at the same time as rumours about a potential Mercedes dominance of 2026.

Chatter thereafter began to plague the paddock about a potential move.

The rumours about jumping ship to Mercedes were ignored for a while until they were eventually shut down by Verstappen as he reiterated his commitment to Red Bull.

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028; however, it is believed that there is a performance clause that could see an early exit should Red Bull not perform.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: F1 news: Toto Wolff wary of ‘political knives’ as Charles Leclerc makes strong Mercedes claim

Verstappen’s 2026 season struggles so far

Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s 2026 season hasn’t exactly been off to a great start.

After a less-than-desirable start in Melbourne, things only got worse in Shanghai.

In both the sprint and main race, Verstappen bogged down at the start due to a car issue and lost a handful of places.

Car issues continued for Verstappen, who ultimately had to retire from the race.

Verstappen currently only has eight points, placing him in a lowly eighth place in the Drivers’ Championship after the first two rounds.

Palmer’s comments

Palmer claims the conversations are guaranteed, given the belief that Red Bull “will not win the title this year”.

Red Bull “look like they’ve got way too much work to do, and Max is not here to finish eighth in qualifying. He’s not here to not even fight for a podium”, Palmer said.

With Mercedes dominating the season so far and the outlook that this will not change any time soon, they are the obvious choice for Verstappen should he choose to jump ship.

“He’s going to be looking at a way to get into that Mercedes because they have the best car. 

“They will, at the very least, be in the mix for being champions for the next couple of years as well,” he continued.

As Palmer iterates, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is unlikely to turn down a four-time world champion if he were to come knocking.

READ NEXT: Japanese Grand Prix preview: Five storylines to watch including Mercedes vs Ferrari