Mercedes are a “very, very good alternative” for Max 💧Verstappen, claims Ralf Schumacher.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has named Red Bull driver as th﷽e No1 option on a four-man shortlist to replace Lewis Hamiltonꩵ, who will go to Ferrari next year.

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028 but, amid the internal controversy at F1’s dom꧟inant team, it has emerged that he can activate a contractual clause to quit early.

However, Verstappen h🌼as so fa🍌r pledged allegiance to the team who he has won the past three F1 championships with.

"Max Versta🧜ppen speaks German, and therefore Mercedes is a very, very good alternative for him,” Schumacher told .

“And he would also fit in well, especially his personality. But it's 𒅌noꦦt that far yet. “And by the way: theoretically he has to first get out of the contract.

“Hel𒅌mut Marko could of course do that too, because his contract is basically linked to Max Verstappen.

“I also🐎 don't think they would✨ stand in his way at Red Bull if he wanted to leave."

Verstapp♈en won the first two grands p🎶rix of 2024 to immediate begin his quest for a fourth title in a row.

But a rare an꧅d unexpected retirement from the F1 Australian Grand Prix last weekend represented the first on-track chink in Red Bull’s armour.

“Of course it was a small thing, of course it was a coincidence,” Schumacher said about V♐erstappen’s DN💎F.

“But it also shows that this whole discussion about team boss Christian Horner is not leaving 🅺the team unscathed.

“There is talk of a careless mistake when screw🎉ing the brakes together, but of course we don't know anything more precise.

"What we know for sure is that the team is still pretty divided, that there are tensions with Max's father, and that Max is thinking𝓰 about an alternative."

Verstappen sa൲id about Mercedes’ interest in Australia: “It doesn’t have any impact on me of what I would do or whatever, but I mean, it’s always nice to hear that.

“But of course, Toto and I, we had our little moments, but that’s normal between two teams as we🌊ll, battling, I guess, for challenges, but the respect ha🅰s always been there.

“But yeah, ⛦from my side, it doesn’t change anything.”