Former Sky Sports reporter Rachel Brookes has thrown down a massive prediction in the silly season chaos. She reckons Max Verstappen will ditch Red Bull for Mercedes next year, teaming up alongside Kimi Antonelli. It's a bold call, but Brookes laid out her entire reasoning on the Essential F1 podcast, and honestly, it's got us thinking. Verstappen's currently locked into a Red Bull contract through 2028, but that hasn't stopped the paddock from wondering if he might be eyeing an exit.

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The thing is, Red Bull have been struggling massively in 2026. Despite Verstappen's absolute masterclass drives that somehow drag the RB22 into respectable finishes, he's clearly frustrated. After his Hungary effort where he climbed from fourth to second, he straight up told the media he was shocked he even managed it. That's not the tone of a guy happy with his machinery. Brookes reckons the Dutch driver wants to win races again, not just perform miracles with a slow car.

Brookes also highlighted how the team that won Verstappen championships has basically emptied out. With staff like Michael Manning heading for the exits, the four-time champion apparently feels he's given Red Bull everything he's got and now wants a fresh challenge somewhere he can actually fight for wins. Mercedes, according to Brookes, still represent that opportunity. Toto Wolff missed out on signing Verstappen before, and she thinks he'd see nabbing him from Red Bull as the ultimate statement.

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If Verstappen does move to Mercedes, Brookes reckons it creates a total reshuffle. She's predicting Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, Oscar Piastri and Yuki Hadjar at Red Bull, and an all-British McLaren lineup with Lando Norris and George Russell. Fernando Alonso's heading to Alpine, she thinks, while Carlos Sainz lands at Audi. It's chaos, but that's silly season for you.

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The Dutch GP is apparently the moment when Verstappen might reveal his decision about his future. Until then, the whole grid is basically holding its breath wondering if Brookes is onto something special here. A Mercedes team with Verstappen and Antonelli would be absolutely stacked, and it'd shake up the entire 2027 grid in ways we're only just beginning to imagine.

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