The F1 rumour mill is in full flow as we approach the mid-season break, and all eyes are on a potential shock move for Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull for Mercedes.
Speculation over the switch ramped up at the Austrian GP last week, where Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff all but confirmed that they were in talks with Verstappen to join the Silver Arrows for the 2026 season.
It’s understood that Verstappen is open to the project following a season of disruption at Red Bull. Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey‘s exit and a considerable drop-off in performance from 2024 have only added fuel to the fire.
The situation hasn’t been helped by the lack of a new contract offer to the current Mercedes lead driver, George Russell, who will be without a team next season as it stands.
Both Red Bull and Mercedes have denied that a deal is “close”, as reported by Sky Italy. But, if there’s one thing we know about F1, it’s that there’s usually no smoke without fire.
A caveat to the whole debacle is a potential clause in Verstappen’s contract stating that if he were to finish outside of the top two, he would be allowed to leave. Again, these haven’t been confirmed by either driver or team, but would be a ‘get out of jail free' card for Verstappen if he opted for a fresh start.
It’s caused quite a stir in the betting markets. Max Verstappen’s odds of winning the British Grand Prix have drifted from 15/4 to 5/1 with some bookies.
On Thursday, Max Verstappen said it would be “amazing” to see out his whole career at Red Bull, which makes us think that the bookies have overreacted to the noise earlier in the week.
As a result, we’ve formed a bet builder for Silverstone 2025 to capitalise on a significant amount of value left on the table.
Max Verstappen Odds for Silverstone 2025
Our British Grand Prix tips for the bet builder pay a tidy £45 for just a £10 bet. Here’s who we like this weekend:
| Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Max Verstappen Top 3 | 4/6 |
| Nico Hülkenberg Points Finish | 7/4 |
| Both Cars to be Classified – Ferrari | 1/9 |
| Total Odds = 9/2 |
*bet365 odds correct as of 12:00 4/7/2025. Subject to change.
You Can’t Verstapp-Him: Max Priced 4/6 for Podium Finish
Odds for Max Verstappen to make the podium have drifted slightly in light of the news that he might make the move to Mercedes.
A DNF in Austria last week certainly hasn’t lessened the noise, but this was a freak accident caused, ironically, by Mercedes rookie, Kimi Antonelli.
The reality is that Verstappen remains the fastest driver on the grid, and in a more than competitive car.
Can he beat the McLarens around Silverstone? Probably not, but he’s the best of the rest, and odds of 4/6 to feature in his sixth podium of the season look excellent value.
Points to Prove: Hülkenberg 7/4 to Deliver for Kick Sauber
Few would have predicted that at the halfway stage of the season, one of the Kick Sauber drivers would be 10th in the standings. But here we are.
Nico Hulkenberg has had an incredible start to 2025, and the German has been driving out of his skin over the last few races, with three consecutive points finishes.
We’re backing “The Hulk” to make that four on a track that should suit his style and the car's set-up.
Spain, Canada and Austria were all quick tracks, with high-speed cornering and the chance to show off the Sauber’s impressive top speeds and get into the points, which bodes well for Silverstone.
What’s arguably been most impressive is Hülkenberg’s consistency, with just one DNF (Bahrain) all season.
Silverstone 2025 odds of 7/4 to get back amongst the points look the value bet of the weekend for us and heads straight into our bet builder.
Two Prancing Horses, One Result: 1/9 They Stay on the Track
Lewis Hamilton’s shift to the Scuderia at the start of the year means that the team will have unprecedented eyes on them for the British Grand Prix.
To say it’s been a mixed season for the Prancing Horses is an understatement. They’ve just a single win between them, which came in the Sprint race in China, before their weekend turned sour with a DSQ in the main race thanks to an overweight car.
Aside from that, Hamilton and Leclerc have been nothing if not consistent. They both finished in every other race, and while the team hasn’t been as quick as they would like, they’ve at least been able to negotiate the car home.
Silverstone should suit the car. They brought upgrades in Austria, leading to a 3rd and 4th place finish, respectively. And even though they’re still lagging behind the McLarens, they’ll be desperate to close the gap and wrap up a second place in the constructors' championship.
Granted, odds of 1/9 for both cars to finish aren’t going to excite even the most hardened Formula 1 punter, but combining it as part of our bet builder gives a nice little bump for a result that should be a lock.