Mercedes preparing world record £128MILLION-A-YEAR offer for Max Verstappen to replace Lewis Hamilton
Man Utd chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe will play a huge role in finding Hamilton's replacement
MERCEDES could break the bank with a record-breaking deal to sign F1 world champion Max Verstappen as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.
Sources in Austria claim the F1 team are tabling a whopping £128MILLION-A-YEAR package to lure the three time world champion.
It comes after Red Bull Racing were rocked by the news that design whizz Adrian Newey is stepping back from his role in the team.
SunSport reported on Tuesday how Verstappen’s father Jos and his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, are expected to meet the three owners of the Merc F1 team.
That includes team boss Toto Wolff, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius, and Ineos and Manchester United shareholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The Verstappen camp have made it clear that they are assessing their options following their spectacular fallout with team boss Christian Horner.
It comes after an internal investigation where Horner was cleared of allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague.
Verstappen’s father said in Bahrain that Horner’s position in control of the team was ripping it apart.
Horner responded that he would not stand in his driver’s way if he wanted to leave, despite having a contract worth over £40 million a year that runs until the end of 2028.
It means that Mercedes however, could be forced to stump up compensation for Verstappen, who is on course to win his fourth straight title this season.
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Wolff has made no secret of the fact that he would love to sign Verstappen and is close with the family and they both live in Monaco.
He is desperate to return the team to winning ways but has so far failed to see them muster a challenge.
However, Wolff knows he faces a tough task in trying to convince the driver to leave Red Bull for Mercedes.
Verstappen has seen Mercedes produce three duds in succession, leading somewhat to Hamilton’s decision to quit, while Red Bull have delivered him three title-winning cars.
Consequently there is a high degree of risk in making the switch, which Mercedes are hoping to acknowledge with a substantial contract that comes loaded with bonuses.
Verstappen meanwhile has tried to distance himself from the speculation linking him with Mercedes.
However, he is likely to come in for some questioning about his future at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
Inside track on Hamilton's life
LEWIS HAMILTON has driven his way into pole position as Formula One's most prolific winner.
The British speedster lives life in the fast lane both on and off the track, with a string of high-profile romances and jet-set lifestyle.
Hamilton made his name at McLaren and Mercedes but stunned the racing world by signing a £100million deal to join Ferrari for next season.
His exploits have seen him rub shoulders with Hollywood icon Brad Pitt but Lew snubbed the chance to feature in Top Gun 2.
And fans can follow his fortunes on the latest season of Netflix’s smash hit Drive To Survive.
Hamilton’s talent saw him go from humble origins in Stevenage to boasting an £11m car collection.
He joined celeb dating app Raya after splitting from Brazilian beauty Juliana Nalu.
And his exes are said to include Rita Ora, Rihanna and Nicole Scherzinger.
Hamilton was embroiled in a bitter feud with Nico Rosberg but the pair buried the hatchet to sport £35k watches they were given for FREE.
He also shared high-profile battles with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.
But his most shocking showdown saw Max Verstappen handed the World Championship over him by a controversial safety car decision.
The Brit is chasing a record eighth world title – the first of which came in 2008 and has seen Felipe Masa sue F1 for £62m after a crash saw him miss out.
Check out all our Lewis Hamilton articles here.