Max Verstappen is going to have his work cut out if he wants to match Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of winning five Formula 1 world championships.
Red Bull and Max Verstappen have dominated the most recent era of F1 but the 2024 season showed that cracks are starting to form within the Anglo-Austrian team.
Internal politics became the subject of public discussion and Red Bull have lost several key personnel heading into this season.
The biggest loss will be Adrian Newey and the RB21 is the first car where the design genius has had virtually no input.
Verstappen is joined by new teammate Liam Lawson this season and while the young Kiwi is going to be his number two this year, he’s shown in his burgeoning F1 career that he’s no pushover.
Lawson didn’t look too happy with Red Bull’s car during testing and even the normally faultless Verstappen spun on the final day in Bahrain.
If Verstappen misses out on the title this year, then all eyes will turn to 2026 and the sport’s new regulations.
Red Bull will develop their own power unit for the first time and it would be a miracle if they’re frontrunners next season given the amount they have to learn over the coming months.
Ralf Schumacher was speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast ahead of the start of the season and was asked about Verstappen’s future.
He admitted that there are three potential options in the paddock for the Dutchman if he decides that Red Bull can no longer fulfil his ambitions in the sport.
Ralf Schumacher predicts Max Verstappen’s next F1 team if he decides to quit Red Bull
Journalist Peter Hardenacke was talking to Schumacher about the four-time world champion and said: “Let’s go back to Max Verstappen. So, because there have been rumours about him for the last few years if he decides to join a new team, which do you think is more likely to be Mercedes or Aston Martin?”
Schumacher considered the question and then explained the upsides of both teams: “I believe that both teams are on the shortlist.
“Now we have to wait and see what happens. Mercedes still obviously has the problem that they don’t quite know where they need to develop.
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“At least that’s what it looked like, but of course, it’s still early days. Of course, that’s also worrying but if both [drivers] get on really well together now, it could also mean that Toto Wolff doesn’t want to sacrifice anyone. Of course, it’s also a financial question.
“Max Verstappen isn’t exactly cheap either. If I now have two drivers who work together, then that would be an option.
“I don’t know, the longer I think about it, we said it at some point, joining Aston Martin is something that would definitely make sense for Max Verstappen.
“Yes, and it’s a long shot, depending on how long he stays with Red Bull, maybe even Ferrari. You can’t forget that either.”
Aston Martin seems like Max Verstappen’s best option if he decides to leave Red Bull
As Schumacher suggests, Ferrari seems out of the question for Verstappen at this stage unless he waits until Lewis Hamilton retires.
The 27-year-old hasn’t hidden his desire to pursue opportunities away from F1 and is unlikely to want to hang around just for the chance to replace one of his great rivals.
Mercedes have courted Verstappen for some time and while Schumacher believes Wolff will back both of his current drivers, they’re also both out of contract at the end of 2025.
The team have invested a lot in George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but the allure of signing a multiple world champion might be difficult to turn down.
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Aston Martin are also interested in Verstappen and both from a financial and circumstantial point of view, it’s the move that seems the most realistic if he walks away from Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso is approaching the end of his career and as much as Lawrence Stroll wants his son Lance to become a world champion, it would be nearly impossible to turn the Dutchman down in favour of a driver who is yet to win a Grand Prix.
Verstappen has worked well with Newey and Honda in the past and Aston Martin will hope both parties can propel them to the front of the grid in 2026.
