Marko rules out switching to Mercedes or Aston Martin

Apr.2 (GMM) Formula 1’s notorious and annual driver ‘silly season’ has arrived incredibly early in 2025.

Liam Lawson has already lost his seat at Red Bull Racing, rookie Jack Doohan is linked with the exit at Alpine, and driver rumours are swirling around the Mercedes, Aston Martin and Max Verstappen camps.

“Red Bull is falling apart,” former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher told Bild newspaper.

“Verstappen is keeping it going with his performances, but they’ve lost too many top players and things are simmering internally. The fact that Verstappen is still staying so cool is insane.”

Schumacher surmised: “Max will leave Red Bull.”

Toto Wolff spent much of 2024 trying to woo Verstappen to Mercedes, and speculation is rising up again this year – raising the question of whether George Russell, who does not get along with Verstappen, or Kimi Antonelli would have to go.

“If Max were to go to Mercedes, the young Antonelli, who has been performing brilliantly so far, would probably have to go,” former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Blick newspaper.

Schumacher, however, thinks Aston Martin is actually a much more likely destination for the quadruple world champion.

“Everything would be tailored to him,” said the former Williams and Toyota driver. “He would probably get the same status that he has at Red Bull.”

As for the Mercedes possibility, Schumacher said: “I don’t see that happening at Mercedes because Toto Wolff wants to promote Antonelli.”

Some think Red Bull’s fundamental mistake was focusing too exclusively on Verstappen’s driving style, but Schumacher disagrees: “It only stands out there because his teammates aren’t good enough.

Meanwhile, Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko – also seen as Verstappen’s long-time mentor and father figure – ruled out following the 27-year-old elsewhere in pitlane.

“It would be absolutely out of the question for me,” he told Kleine Zeitung newspaper. “From my perspective, Formula 1 is Red Bull.”