The future of Max Verstappen in Formula 1 remains surrounded by doubts amidst Red Bull’s difficulties in the 2026 season and speculations about possible grid changes. Currently, Verstappen is ninth in the championship, while the Austrian team occupies only sixth place in the Constructors’ World Championship, behind Alpine and Haas, and is 119 points behind leader Mercedes.
Read more F1: Ex-champion sees risk of imbalance with shared team models
Discussions about a possible departure of the four-time champion have gained strength since the beginning of the season. The Dutchman has been one of the most vocal critics of F1’s 2026 regulations, even comparing races to Mario Kart and questioning whether it is still “worth it” to continue in the category.
Within Red Bull itself, the scenario is also one of instability. After Helmut Marko’s departure, Verstappen will see his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, transfer to McLaren in 2028. Furthermore, the RB22 car, designed for 2026, has already been criticized by the driver, who described it as “inhuman to drive” at times.
In this context, former driver and Sky Sports commentator, Martin Brundle, evaluated the situation and stated that he does not see a simple exit for Verstappen in the current grid scenario:
Read more F1: Russell ignores Antonelli and wants to improve his starts
“I’m not so sure it’s that easy for Max to just jump ship at the moment. Mercedes has two home-grown talents in their car: Russell and Antonelli. McLaren is well established with a tremendous duo that gets along very well; Ferrari, with Leclerc and Hamilton,” said Brundle.
He added that any change would depend on rare openings in the market: “If someone suddenly leaves one of these teams, then a spot opens up for Max. But teams cannot, if they are under contract, and will not want to kick out some great drivers, with a great driver lineup.”
Read more F1: Hadjar recalls emotional moment when he signed with Red Bull
