Ralf Schumacher now tells Max Verstappen to ‘think about’ leaving Red Bull if one person stays at the F1 team

Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through the 2028 Formula 1 season, yet his future there is often in doubt amid Aston Martin and Mercedes showing interest.

The four-time defending F1 champion regularly takes over a prominent spot in driver market gossip columns, as Verstappen can break free from his contract with Red Bull. He could even walk away as early as the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season, should the 27-year-old want to.

Red Bull pay Verstappen a base £47m, in a deal which saw him earn £59m last year after the Dutchman sealed his fourth F1 drivers’ championship. Yet if he ranks below third in the 2025 standings in the summer break, Verstappen can use his exit clause to blow the market open.

Aston Martin, despite having Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll under contract for 2026, and Mercedes regularly show an interest in signing Verstappen should he elect to leave Red Bull. George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are both out of contract for Mercedes this season.

Ralf Schumacher tells Max Verstappen to consider leaving Red Bull if Christian Horner stays

Even though Verstappen is expected to stay at Red Bull in 2026 as he doubts the impact that Adrian Newey will have on Aston Martin’s car despite the new regulations, Ralf Schumacher also feels the Dutchman must consider leaving as long as Christian Horner remains in place.

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The ex-Williams F1 driver thinks Horner’s position as Red Bull’s team principal is putting rival engineers off moving to Milton Keynes. Schumacher even thinks Newey joined Aston Martin and Jonathan Wheatley joined Audi/Sauber after they both had disagreements with Horner.

Schumacher told F1-Insider: “The truth is, it’s not just important employees who left Red Bull because of Horner. There are also talented technicians who don’t want to switch to Red Bull in the future as long as Horner is in charge there. Max Verstappen should also think about that when it comes to his future.”

Max Verstappen could reunite with Adrian Newey in 2026 with Aston Martin’s £1bn offer

Newey joined Aston Martin as a 5% shareholder this March after agreeing to take over the role of managing technical partner last September, following his decision to leave Red Bull. Audi hired Wheatley last August to be the new team principal of Sauber effective this April.

Now, Schumacher feels Verstappen should consider following their lead and F1-Insider adds that the German’s claims have merit as, mainly due to Horner, ‘the mood at Red Bull is at its lowest’. Even though Red Bull are also 218 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ table.

Verstappen may need his results to drop away or Mercedes and/or Ferrari to up their games to trigger his release clause, however. Russell is fourth in the standings but is 26 points from the Dutchman, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is 43 behind and Lewis Hamilton is 66 behind.

Rival F1 teams will keep tabs on his situation nonetheless and Aston Martin have a five-year, £1bn contract offer for Verstappen ready if he does become available. Horner may even not be alone in tempting him to go, as Verstappen has lost confidence in Pierre Wache, as well.