Max Verstappen must consider 2026 Mercedes F1 switch after hearing what Ford’s chief has just said about Red Bull’s new power unit

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The future of Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen could create even bigger shockwaves in the Formula 1 driver’s market than Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.

Max Verstappen has spent a decade racing for Red Bull or sister team Toro Rosso, earning four drivers’ championships in the process.

He’s been the driver to beat ever since dramatically pipping Lewis Hamilton to the title in controversial circumstances in 2021, but this season has forced him to change his approach.

Red Bull no longer have the quickest car on the grid, and while the role of being the underdog appears to suit Verstappen, the performance gap between the RB21 and McLaren’s newest car is too great for him to make up.

Verstappen’s Red Bull contract runs until the end of the 2028 season, and while team principal Christian Horner wishes it was that straightforward, the Dutchman’s future is far from secure.

Mercedes have been interested in Verstappen for some time, and with both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli out of contract at the end of the year, a seat could open up for the 27-year-old.

Verstappen has a get-out clause in his Red Bull deal, and with regulations changing in 2026 and a new power unit arriving in collaboration with Ford next year, he might end up seriously considering his future.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Ford boss admits Red Bull’s new 2026 power unit won’t be perfect

Mark Rushbrook, Ford Motorsports president, was asked by Motorsport about whether the team have met their current targets for next year’s power unit and explained, “Yes, although of course there are always exceptions because you can never achieve everything 100 per cent.

“But when it comes to achieving the power numbers, then absolutely. Then it’s about the reliability tests to match that. Do you achieve everything perfectly? No, but that’s the reality of any program.

“It just happens as you go along and then it’s about how you respond, in terms of urgency and in terms of the mindset of the people. So we respond to what we see.”

Verstappen may be concerned that an inexperienced team building a power unit in what’s likely to be an engine-dominated formula which could put Red Bull at a disadvantage.

Even though some members of the team working at Red Bull are more experienced – Horner has previously spoken about how many employees they’ve brought in from Mercedes – they’re still at a disadvantage considering Ford’s recent hiatus from Formula 1.

With whispers in the paddock suggesting Mercedes will have the best engine, Verstappen might be forced to consider a switch, particularly given Red Bull have gone from being the dominant force during his era of the sport to falling behind McLaren in a matter of months.

Plenty of key personnel, including Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall, have left Red Bull recently, and there are question marks over whether the remaining staff have what it takes to develop a championship-winning car.

READ MORE: Know all about Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth to wife

Ford chief agrees with Christian Horner over potential Mercedes advantage in 2026

Rushbrook was asked if he was aware of where Red Bull, or any other team, stands in the pecking order when it comes to their power units for 2026, he responded, “No, you don’t.

“Until everyone tests on the same test bench and in the same conditions, you can’t know.

“There are only rumours about who is where, who is ahead and who is behind. But the honest answer is: no, nobody knows.”

It was then put to Rushbrook that Christian Horner stated that Mercedes seemed ‘confident’ and was then asked if he got the same impression.

He continued, “They do seem that way. Christian and I agree on almost everything, so yes.

“If you analyse the regulations, you make an assessment of what is achievable based on those regulations.

“We have said ‘We think this is achievable and want to get there in a certain way’, that is the path we are following.

“But we don’t know what Mercedes and Ferrari think is possible, that assessment could be higher or lower than ours. Anyone can say they are on track, but you can be on track to different numbers.”

Verstappen has previously spoken about his lack of interest in racing in F1 for as long as the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

His recent test in a GT3 car at the Nordschleife under the pseudonym Franz Hermann during the break between the races in Miami and Imola only highlights his desire to do more things with his racing career.

He may therefore have to make an incredibly tough choice at the end of this season.