Max Verstappen has enjoyed unrivalled success at Red Bull since joining the team in 2016, winning four titles in a row between 2021 and 2024.
Questions are now being asked about Verstappen’s future, now that Red Bull’s form has dropped off at the end of the current regulation cycle and success in 2026 is not guaranteed.
Red Bull have seen a number of their ‘inner success circle’ leave in the last 18 months, including legendary design guru Adrian Newey, who joined rival team Aston Martin.
Verstappen is known to have a get-out clause in his contract that states he can leave his current agreement with Red Bull if they drop below the top three in the championship.
Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Verstappen should join Aston Martin, knowing how much money billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll has put into the team.
But it might not be as easy to leave Red Bull, according to former driver Christijan Albers, who outlined one thing that Verstappen has that he would not get at any other team on the F1 grid when speaking on the Telesport podcast.
Max Verstappen would not get the same treatment at other teams as Red Bull
Red Bull have effectively moulded their team around Verstappen in recent years, giving the Dutchman a car that is tailored around his driving style.
This has meant any teammate that goes up against him has struggled to reach the same level of competitiveness, with Liam Lawson recently only lasting two races before he was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda.
Albers believes Verstappen would struggle to get similar treatment at other teams on the grid like Red Bull.
“With Max, he would have conversations and he is totally flirting [with other teams] and keeping his options open,” said Albers.
“There is not a single team where he is given so much freedom, where he basically has a blank cheque, where that is basically the basis of the team for me, because everyone adores him. He has no pressure from a second driver because he’s always fastest. It’s just very relaxed at Red Bull.”
Where could Max Verstappen go if he leaves Red Bull?
Aston Martin are the most obvious choice for the Dutchman given their links to Newey, as the designer is now focused on optimising their 2026 car.
Newey is known for exploiting key areas of new regulation cycles, and recently identified that Aston Martin needs to ‘grow’ their aerodynamic department.
Verstappen might see Aston Martin as being in their infancy during this period of his career, so would likely prefer an established team at the front of the pack.
The only other team to win titles other than Red Bull and McLaren in the last decade is Mercedes, and Verstappen was previously linked with Toto Wolff’s squad.
Such a move would be unlikely, however, if Mercedes extends George Russell’s contract, given the pair have a tricky relationship both on and off the track.
