A warning has been issued to Max Verstappen regarding his potential move to Mercedes in 2026.
Martin Brundle has warned Max Verstappen against leaving Red Bull, not only before 2025 when a fifth title could await him, but also ’26 as Red Bull Powertrains is looking “impressive”.
According to Toto Wolff, Verstappen is currently pondering over his future and deciding whether he will fulfill his Red Bull contract, which is set to conclude at the conclusion of the 2028 championship.
‘If there are cards to be played, do you want to play them?’
Wolff is hoping that if or when the time comes that Verstappen does quit Red Bull, he’ll join him in Brackley. But he doesn’t see that happening before 2026.
Wolff has mentioned on multiple occasions that if he were in Verstappen’s position, he would opt to stay with Red Bull for the upcoming season due to their superior package. However, he is currently awaiting the Dutchman’s decision before finalizing a replacement for Lewis Hamilton.
Following that, there should be consideration of “additional factors”.
He further stated, “In my opinion, Max possesses the most extensive knowledge of motor racing and will make decisions that he believes are in his best interest. Several factors contribute to this belief.”
Formula 1 will be implementing new power unit regulations in two years, which will be one of the contributing factors.
Mercedes reigned supreme in Formula 1 for seven consecutive championship doubles from 2014 to 2020 when they introduced new engines. However, their dominance was halted in 2021 when Verstappen snatched the title from Hamilton.
Zak Brown doubles down on ‘CV’ jibe
‘Time to move on?’ – McLaren mind games with Red Bull continue as staff desire questioned
Max Verstappen hits back at McLaren boss over Adrian Newey ‘first domino to fall’ talk
Despite Mercedes’ past engine success, Brundle has cautioned Verstappen against being influenced by it. He believes that the Red Bull Powertrain project is showing significant promise.
“He mentioned that Max is possibly concerned about the unknown when it comes to the power unit,” he informed Sky Sports. “However, I have personally experienced the Red Bull Powertrain and I must say, it is an incredibly impressive setup.”
“I find it quite intriguing. If there is a need to exit a situation, how soon should the cards be played and do we actually want to play them?”
The ex-F1 driver reaffirmed that Adrian Newey’s recent departure announcement is not one of the potential reasons for Verstappen’s exit.
It is rumored that Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko is willing to walk away himself in order to facilitate Max Verstappen’s exit, if the driver desires.
Brundle inquired whether Max had a key man clause or an exit clause in his contract that mentioned Adrian. Christian explicitly denied it, stating that there was no such provision.
“If Max possesses an exit clause, I believe it’s crucial for him to act swiftly upon it. However, they have the option to utilize it as a means to either depart or remain next year.”
“The cars will not undergo significant changes next year, meaning that Max, currently in the Red Bull team with the momentum, has a relatively easy opportunity to secure both this year’s and next year’s championship.”
“We will need to exercise patience and observe the outcome.”
Read next: Follow PlanetF1.com’s WhatsApp channel for all the F1 breaking news!
