Verstappen to Ferrari in 2018 despite watertight contract?

Could Max Verstappen's mounting frustrations at Red Bull this season entice the 19-year-old to force his way out of his contract if the House of Maranello came calling?

Slowly but surely, pundits are ramping up their speculation about who could potentially go where next season, ignoring binding contracts for 2018.

Max Verstappen surely expected a better start to his year, or at the very least trusted Red Bull Racing to deliver a car capable of running at the front and fulfilling his expectations of winning.

The Milton-Keynes outfit has struggled so far however to remain in contact with front-runners Ferrari and Mercedes, let alone beat its rivals.

As a consequence, Verstappen is unhappy and Sky Sports Ted Kravitz believes Ferrari could be waiting in the wings to pounce on the Dutch prodigy and draft him in as Kimi Raikkonen's replacement for next year.

No way out of watertight contracts for Red Bull drivers

"What is going to happen to Verstappen? We hear that not only is he not happy but by extension Jos is not happy," Kravitz reported.

"They are having heated discussions with Helmut Marko about what on earth is going on, where’s this championship you promised us, and they’re looking around as well.

"I think we have to throw Verstappen into the mix of where he will be driving next year. Red Bull say they hold all the cards, drivers don’t leave us we dump drivers.

"But try saying that to Sebastian Vettel who had a valid Red Bull contract. If Verstappen has Ferrari coming in saying ‘We want you Max to partner Sebastian next year, take Kimi’s seat, we’ll sort out the contract’ I think he would go."

Verstappen's extraordinary youth doesn't appear to warrant patience, according to Kravitz.

"He’s that impatient for championship success that I think he would go at the moment because he doesn’t see, like many of us, Red Bull getting a championship before the rules change after 2020.

"Verstappen may have a contract but, as Christian Horner says, you can’t force a driver to drive for you if he doesn’t want to drive for you."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.