Max Verstappen is unlikely to be in any immediate rush to leave Red Bull Racing despite not being in pole position to win a fifth drivers’ championship this season.
Although McLaren are the dominant outfit in the constructors’ championship, Max Verstappen has barely put a foot wrong to keep himself in contention in the drivers’ standings.
The Dutchman would be level on points with championship leader Oscar Piastri if both McLarens retired from the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.
As unlikely as that sounds, it’s exactly how Verstappen earned his first F1 victory on his Red Bull debut at the Circuit de Catalunya nine years ago when Mercedes stars Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided on the opening lap.
| RANK | DRIVER | WINS FOR RBR | YEARS |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | 65 | 2016 – present |
| 2 | Sebastian Vettel | 38 | 2009 – 2014 |
| 3 | Mark Webber | 9 | 2007 – 2013 |
| 4 | Daniel Ricciardo | 7 | 2014 – 2018 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez | 6 | 2021 – present |
F1’s front-wing flexing rules will be updated this weekend and all eyes are on how it affects the pecking order on the grid.
Red Bull once hoped the rule change would have a game-changing impact but that expectation has subsided in recent weeks.
If Red Bull instead fall further behind their rivals, then Verstappen might begin to consider a potential move over the winter break.
Ralf Schumacher has heard concerning things about Red Bull’s 2026 engine, and Guenther Steiner has pinpointed one driver who could be at risk if Verstappen makes himself available.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Guenther Steiner ‘could easily’ see Max Verstappen replace Kimi Antonelli next season
Steiner was speaking about Andrea Kimi Antonelli on The Red Flags Podcast and his recent struggles over the past two races.
He explained: “He’s got a lot of rope, Toto will protect him if he’s doing the right thing, but if it doesn’t work out, at some stage, there will be repercussions.
“He will say, ‘Hey, this is not good enough,’ and I think that’s coming in the second half of the season.
“He’s a rookie, so, you need to give this guy a little bit of freedom to make mistakes because they will, but if the second half of the season he continues to do this…”
Steiner went on to say that the rookie excuse for Antonelli ends next season before being asked if there’s a world where the Italian could be replaced by Verstappen if he doesn’t perform in 2026.
He continued: “Could easily be and then Mercedes…as I always say, a driver is part of the team, Mercedes is not here to train drivers, Mercedes is here to win.
“They need to have the best guy in the car that they can have, and if it’s not Kimi, for sure, he likes him, he loves him, he’s a good kid and I wouldn’t write him off yet just to make that clear.
“I think he can show us a lot of things. But if that doesn’t happen, I think he’s just treated like everybody else at the end of the year.
“If it does happen that he doesn’t make proper progress, could be that he has to look for another job, he’s just one part of the team.”
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
Kimi Antonelli enjoying a mixed start to life as a Formula 1 driver with Mercedes
Antonelli should have been the most under-pressure rookie at the start of 2025 given he was immediately thrust into a team hoping to win races this season.
George Russell has been fantastic this year and while his chances of challenging for a very unlikely championship are quickly fading, he’ll be relatively pleased to have secured four podium finishes this season.
His rookie teammate has had plenty of ups and downs, with his recovery drive in Australia and pole position for the Sprint race in Miami his standout moments.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Oscar Piastri |
161 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
158 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
136 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
99 |
| 5 |
Charles Leclerc |
79 |
| 6 |
Lewis Hamilton |
63 |
| 7 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
48 |
| 8 |
Alexander Albon |
42 |
| 9 |
Esteban Ocon |
20 |
| 10 |
Isack Hadjar |
15 |
Antonelli has already thrilled Mercedes after overtaking Verstappen in China, but a retirement at his first home race at Imola and then a costly mistake in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix have brought him back down to earth.
Toto Wolff has spent years nurturing the 18-year-old and he’s unlikely to suddenly abandon him now.
However, Antonelli and Russell are in the final years of their contracts and seeing as Mercedes have held an interest in Verstappen for a long time, it’s not a switch that’s completely outside the realms of possibility.
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