Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future is in doubt. He’s won four championships in a row with Christian Horner’s team, but their trajectory is a concern.
Since he won the Spanish GP last June to make it seven victories in 10 races, Verstappen has only stood on the top step three times. Red Bull lost their way in the development race, forcing him into defensive mode in the title race.
Fortunately, he had a comfortable margin and he protected it admirably to extend his streak. But now the scores have reset, and Verstappen is trying to win the championship in a car that’s multiple tenths slower than the McLaren.
Red Bull haven’t proved that they can without Adrian Newey, the legendary designer who resigned nearly a year ago. They can’t seem to fix their car’s handling problems, and they’ve also been a picture of chaos, fielding three different drivers alongside Verstappen in the space of five months.
What’s more, the first Red Bull power unit is lagging behind for 2026, as Helmut Marko has privately admitted. One can understand why Verstappen may be considering his options in this context.
Max Verstappen could sit out 2026 F1 season and return for 2027
The problem for Verstappen is that this would be an incredibly risky time to move. With significant changes to the regulations looming, he’d effectively have to make an educated guess as to which team will be on top.
Mercedes will be confident of mastering the revised engine to lock in an advantage, as they did in 2014, and Aston Martin also expect to compete for race wins after the signing of Newey. But this is all hypothetical for the moment.
With that in mind, Verstappen could take an extraordinary sabbatical next year, assess the competitive landscape and then ‘pick a team for 2027’. This was reported by Andrew Benson, who has spoken to a member of his team, on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast.
“One of the most intriguing stories around Verstappen at the moment is that he could maybe take a sabbatical next year, just see how the rules go and then pick a team for 2027,” Benson said.
“That’s an idea that was mentioned to me without me even asking by someone quite close to Max Verstappen, so I wouldn’t rule that out as an idea either. I don’t know whether they’re just playing games of course, just to stir the pot a bit. But why not?”
Verstappen certainly wouldn’t be the first legendary driver to return to F1 after a break. Michael Schumacher made a comeback in 2010 with Mercedes, having left Ferrari in 2006, while Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso have also had multiple stints in the sport.
Was this the hint that Max Verstappen’s plans have changed at Red Bull?
Verstappen is under contract until the end of 2028, but it wasn’t an unconditional commitment. The deal includes exit clauses based on the team’s performance.
While Benson inevitably has some skepticism over the sabbatical idea, Verstappen has repeatedly expressed his interest in other racing series. It’s also worth remembering that he’s expecting his first child with girlfriend Kelly Piquet in the near future.
Appearing in the F1 press conference before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen didn’t say he had a long-term contract. That’s been his customary response when batting away questions over his future.
Perhaps that was a subtle hint that his plans have changed. Yuki Tsunoda’s deal is up at the end of the year, so there’s uncertainty surrounding both Red Bull seats right now.
Leave feedback about this