Former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has offered his opinion on the possible departure of three-time world champion Max Verstappen from Red Bull.
Ecclestone told RacingNews365:
He's too intelligent to do that. What would he gain? To go where? It'd be silly to move. There's nowhere he could go where I think he would get exactly the same service as you get at Red Bull. Would he go to think he could prove it's not what people say at the moment, maybe it's not him it's the car that's fantastic. It's another side of things.
Ecclestone added that if Verstappen wanted to find a new challenge, then a move to Mercedes would be the right decision.
Max Verstappen's agreement with Red Bull ends in 2028. As reported by various sources, Mercedes intends to offer the 26-year-old Dutchman a contract with a salary of 150 million euros a year.
Recall that Verstappen has been playing for Red Bull since May 2016.