Only one person will celebrate if Max Verstappen walks away from Red Bull

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Max Verstappen’s talks with McLaren are getting Formula 1 fans excited as they prepare themselves for a Lewis Hamilton-to-Ferrari-style bombshell.

One report on Tuesday even suggested that McLaren are closing in on Verstappen after offering him a three-year deal, a claim that has been rejected by official sources.

But even if Verstappen leaves Red Bull, it doesn’t necessarily mean he will join the reigning world champions. He might yet be absent from F1 altogether.

Why Isack Hadjar would quietly be pleased to see Max Verstappen leave Red Bull

A source close to Red Bull told The Telegraph after the British GP: “I could absolutely see Max taking a year off next year. He’s thoroughly fed up.”

If you were Max Verstappen, would you stay at Red Bull or move on?

Verstappen has been linked with McLaren, but could also retire or take a sabbatical

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Encouraged by the planned tweaks to the regulations for 2027, Verstappen had indicated that he would remain in the sport after initially threatening to retire.

But he may now be reconsidering that stance. A sabbatical, or even a full retirement, can’t be ruled out, especially if McLaren are inclined to stick with Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen’s relationship with Red Bull clearly is under immense strain right now and he has made clear that he isn’t enjoying F1 in its current form. If there’s no compelling alternative on the current grid, then he may decide to walk away.

In that scenario, Red Bull would clearly be the biggest losers, but Formula 1 as a whole would also suffer from the absence of an all-time great driver in his prime.

But one person who might quietly celebrate is Isack Hadjar. Hadjar has been Verstappen’s strongest teammate since peak Sergio Perez, having beaten him in qualifying three times already.

What is Isack Hadjar’s ceiling as an F1 driver?

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He has contributed over 42% of his team’s points, compared to a meagre 6.7% from Yuki Tsunoda last season.

Even if car problems for both drivers may have skewed the picture slightly, Hadjar’s pace is obvious. He only trails Verstappen by 0.241s on average in qualifying.

But every time Hadjar beats Verstappen, it’s seen as a problem for Red Bull. Just like after qualifying at Silverstone (when the Frenchman was fifth, two places ahead), there’s invariably an inquest into what went wrong for the four-time world champion.

Hadjar’s achievements won’t be fully appreciated because Verstappen sits at the centre of the team. And more importantly, for all the positivity, it’s still difficult to see him winning races or even a world championship if the Dutchman is in equal machinery.

• READ MORE: Max Verstappen’s sarcastic radio message to Red Bull after Isack Hadjar beat him at British GP

Hadjar relishes the chance to learn from Verstappen but partnering someone like Oscar Piastri, or one of the other mooted replacements currently racing in the midfield, would be better for his career. He would back himself to beat virtually every other driver on the grid.

If he ever wants to be more than an afterthought at Red Bull, he needs Verstappen to leave. And now there’s a very real chance that happens, one way or another.

Losing Verstappen would force Red Bull to rebuild, but 21-year-old Hadjar could be at the heart of that project long term.