Max Verstappen has now decided he never wants to copy one Lewis Hamilton F1 career choice if he leaves Red Bull

Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen will start Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix from the second row of the grid.

Max Verstappen set the fifth-fastest time during the final qualifying session on Saturday at the Monaco Grand Prix but benefited from Lewis Hamilton’s three-place grid penalty for impeding him during Q1.

There was nothing Hamilton could have done about the incident having been told by his Ferrari engineer that the Red Bull driver was on a slow lap.

However, Verstappen rapidly approached Hamilton and had to slam on the brakes at turn three to avoid a collision with the seven-time world champion, who was sitting on the racing line.

It means Verstappen will start alongside drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc the two cars directly in front of them.

Verstappen is arguably the most daring overtaker on the grid, but even he struggles to find a way past his rivals at Monaco.

Amid all of this, there are still constant question marks about the 27-year-old’s future at Red Bull.

Verstappen has a contract at Red Bull until the end of 2028, but that doesn’t mean he can’t explore his options elsewhere and other teams can’t privately indicate to him that they’re interested in his services.

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Max Verstappen will only move teams once if he decides on Red Bull F1 exit

A report from the Daily Mail has shared more details about Verstappen’s thought process in the F1 driver market.

They believe that Verstappen has decided to stay at Red Bull for the 2026 season when F1’s regulations change.

That’s despite Red Bull team principal Christian Horner holding informal talks with George Russell in case his star driver decides to move on before the end of the year.

The report goes on to say that Verstappen could consider leaving Red Bull for the start of the 2027 season.

Verstappen has a get-out clause in his contract, and depending on the competitiveness of Red Bull next year during the new ruleset, it could make it easier or more difficult for him to leave.

The Dutchman has told ‘sources’ close to him that if he does move on, he would only be willing to jump ship ‘once in his career’.

That means he doesn’t want to follow a similar career path to Hamilton, who was willing to go from McLaren to Mercedes and then Ferrari.

Verstappen’s decisions away from the track take on even more significance if his first move in the paddock is also going to be his last.

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How Adrian Newey feels about trying to sign Max Verstappen to Aston Martin

One of the teams Verstappen has been linked to is Aston Martin as they look to become title contenders for the first time in their F1 history.

The chance for Verstappen to be reunited with Honda and Adrian Newey might end up being very appealing.

However, speaking to Autosport and other press outlets, Newey explained: “Max is clearly a phenomenal talent and he’s a supreme competitor.

“Part of that means that Max likes to break things down to a simple equation if you like and that is, in this particular case, choosing a team that he believes will deliver the fastest car.

“So if we’re to ever attract Max, the first thing we have to do is make a fast car.

“There’s no point in pipe-dreaming about anything else for now.”

The genius designer is said to have been ‘working relentlessly’ on how to try and improve the team’s overall performance and Newey has had conversations about Aston Martin’s 2025 car.

He’s also singled out the simulator as an issue, which makes sense that he doesn’t think the team is ready for Verstappen yet.

However, if the four-time world champion is going to make one crucial call on his F1 future, Aston Martin have to make sure they’re ready when he’s ready to potentially swap teams.