Vowles says Verstappen would come with 'downsides' for Mercedes

JEDDAH :Signing Formula One champion Max Verstappen would come with "a lot of downsides" for Mercedes, who would be better off keeping their current drivers, Williams boss James Vowles said on Friday.

The sport has been swept with speculation about Verstappen's future after Red Bull's motorsport consultant Helmut Marko expressed concern the Dutch driver could leave at the end of the season.

Verstappen, a four-times consecutive champion who would be a top target for anyone able to afford him, has a contract to 2028 subject to exit clauses.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed an interest in signing Verstappen last year and McLaren team boss Zak Brown said in March he expected the Red Bull driver would join Mercedes for 2026, with Aston Martin another possibility.

Vowles, who was motorsport strategy director at Mercedes and a close confident of Wolff before joining Mercedes-powered Williams in 2023, suggested George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were the better bet.

"I'm not Toto, but I think he's got a really good driver lineup for the future," he told reporters over brunch at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.

"(Verstappen winning in) Japan was for me jaw-dropping, well done to him, but he comes with a lot of downsides as well that you have to acknowledge.

"And I think what Mercedes does have is a great culture with two drivers that are delivering near to the peak of the car and with one that's on the way up.

"So I personally don't think there's a place for (Verstappen)."

Vowles worked closely with Antonelli, 18, while the Italian was in the junior ranks.

"He's making steps every single week and he's only driven effectively four grand prix races," he said. "He's on a good pathway to be very, very competitive, so you keep