Max Verstappen could become option for £3.8bn-valued F1 team with Red Bull sabbatical in 2026

Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through the 2028 Formula 1 season, yet his future is once again widely discussed with Aston Martin and Mercedes interested.

The Silverstone and Brackley-based crews are monitoring the Dutchman’s situation in Milton Keynes as they mull potential moves in the F1 driver market for 2026. Mercedes do not have a driver signed for next year, while Aston Martin could drop Fernando Alonso or Lance Stroll.

Alonso and Stroll both have contracts for at least the 2026 F1 season, but Aston Martin have a five-year £1bn contract ready for Verstappen if he looks to leave Red Bull. The 27-year-old has exit clauses in his contract through 2028, which can let him leave after the current term.

Yet while Aston Martin and Mercedes are interested in signing Verstappen, another idea has materialised that could see the four-time reigning drivers’ champion quit Red Bull and take a sabbatical in 2026. A year out may also open a door at another team for Verstappen in 2027.

Max Verstappen could replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari with a Red Bull sabbatical in 2026

The idea the Dutchman may opt to sit out the 2026 season and see how the new regulations play out surfaced at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson reported that a person ‘quite close’ to Verstappen touted a sabbatical unprompted and it is not unrealistic.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Now, Sky Sports also notes that Verstappen leaving Red Bull and taking a sabbatical in 2026 can open a door at Ferrari in 2027 as Lewis Hamilton will be out of contract. The 40-year-old joined the Scuderia this season on an initial two-year deal, which carries an option for 2027.

The Briton has endured a disappointing start to his time in Maranello so far and Ferrari now accept Hamilton must change his driving style to suit the SF-25. If his problems also carry on with the new regulations, the Scuderia could opt to chase a new partner for Charles Leclerc.

Any move to Maranello for Verstappen is extremely unlikely to develop before 2027. But the Dutchman’s future is in the headlines now as Verstappen can trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract this summer if he falls outside of the top three in the F1 drivers’ championship.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and chassis regulations

What has Max Verstappen previously said about joining Ferrari?

It has also been suggested that Verstappen can break out of his contract if Red Bull are not a top-three F1 team come the summer of 2025. Red Bull currently sit third in the constructors’ standings with 89 points but are 22 behind Mercedes in second and just 11 ahead of Ferrari.

McLaren also hold a 99-point advantage over Red Bull as they push to retain the teams’ title. Their stars, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, also lead Verstappen in the drivers’ standings by 12 and two points respectively after the Saudi Arabian GP for round five of the 2025 season.

So, Ferrari finding an upturn in form with Hamilton and Leclerc before the summer could be vital for deciding Verstappen’s future at Red Bull. Leclerc is only fourth in the standings with a 40-point deficit to the Dutchman, while Hamilton is only in seventh with a 56-point deficit.

Verstappen has also previously said that while it would be ‘amazing’ to drive for the £3.8bn-valued Ferrari F1 team – the championship’s most-valuable brand – he will always prioritise having the quickest car. So, Ferrari may have to ace the 2026 regulations to sign Verstappen.

“People always ask me if I have a dream team,” Verstappen told Sky Sports in May 2023. “I know Ferrari have an amazing history in Formula 1 and is an amazing team to race for, but I always said to myself I just want to be in the fastest car.”