Max Verstappen ‘strongly thinking about leaving’ Red Bull despite Christian Horner exit | F1 | Sport
Max Verstappen will be ‘strongly thinking about’ quitting Red Bull after the misery of the British Grand Prix, according to former F1 star Ralf Schumacher. This is despite the sacking of Christian Horner, with whom the Dutchman was not ‘the best of friends’. Horner was in charge of Red Bull for 20 years, delivering a combined 14 Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
Four of these went the way of Verstappen, who dominated the sport during the early stages of the ground effect era. However, over the past 12 months, the Milton Keynes squad have been on a miserable decline. Verstappen now sits 69 points behind Oscar Piastri at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings, and the Dutchman is now seriously weighing up a move to Mercedes for the 2026 season. With a new Red Bull engine project debuting next year and a leadership restructure to navigate, there are serious questions about how competitive they will be moving forward.
“I think one thing has nothing to do with the other, that the two might not have been the best of friends,” Schumacher told Sky Germany when asked if Horner’s exit could convince Verstappen to stay.
“But that wasn’t what Max was talking about. Max obviously wants to stay at Red Bull if at all possible, because that’s where it all started, and he owes a lot to Red Bull. But I fear this valley that Red Bull is going through now will last a while. That usually takes – in Formula One history – two or three years.
“Now, of course, one thing could happen: new rules next year, and they’ll find a great approach. I’m just lacking imagination, because [Pierre] Wache hasn’t managed to make the car really drivable and good for two or one and a half years now. So I still believe that Max is very strongly thinking about leaving Red Bull, and more than ever after this weekend.”
If Verstappen does opt to call time on his Red Bull career, new team principal Laurent Mekies will face the unenviable task of replacing F1’s most successful driver of the ground effect era.
The former Racing Bulls team principal could even have two seats to fill, with Yuki Tsunoda on a streak of five consecutive races finishing 12th or lower. That said, Mekies has worked with the Japanese racer before, so his arrival in place of Horner is encouraging news for his chances of extending his Red Bull career.
In terms of Verstappen replacements, Mekies’ options are limited. The comfortable move would be to sign whoever Mercedes drops to create room for the Dutchman. However, he could also look to poach an experienced F1 frontrunner, such as Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso or Charles Leclerc. Tempting them away from their respective teams is easier said than done, though.
