Damon Hill shares when he thinks Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull

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Max Verstappen’s future in Formula 1 has been the subject of debate amid unrest at the top of Red Bull.

The team is adamant that Max Verstappen will see out the terms of his contract which is one of the longest in F1 and set to run out in 2028, but there have been rumblings that the Dutchman could switch teams.

For now, Verstappen looks set to stay at Red Bull but a potential move to Mercedes could be lined up given the amount of attention he has received from team principal Toto Wolff recently.

Although Mercedes is lining up Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton, Wolff has still been in search of a world-class driver to replace the seven-time world champion.

The 2025 season is set to be the first time in the history of Mercedes in F1 that it does not have a World Champion driving for them, but that could be shortlived if Verstappen decides to cut ties with Red Bull.

Former F1 driver and 1996 World Champion Damon Hill believes a decision from the Verstappen could made sooner rather than later when speaking on the F1 Nation podcast.

Damon Hill expects Max Verstappen to decide on Red Bull future

Details of a potential draft contract for Verstappen reportedly showed that Mercedes was willing to offer the Dutchman a higher salary package including bonuses than Hamilton, along with a lucrative ambassador deal.

Mercedes was also open to bringing Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko to the team, giving him a prominent role within the Silver Arrows in a bid to secure Verstappen’s services.

With Wolff on the charm offensive, Hill believes it could be a case of waiting out before making a decision on the future for the Dutchman.

“I think he will be there for 2025. But then I think he can wait and see more clearly [the situation] and 2026 is definitely up for grabs,” said Hill.

Who would replace Max Verstappen at Red Bull?

Wolff’s efforts to lure Verstappen away from Red Bull were seen as an attempt to ‘wind up’ team principal Christian Horner, according to former F1 driver Karun Chandhok.

Providing Wolff does manage to poach Verstappen amid speculation over Red Bull’s 2026 engine project with Ford and the recent high-profile departures from senior management, Horner would need a contingency plan.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Red Bull could move for either of the current McLaren drivers Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri according to Will Buxton, while former driver Alex Albon could also rejoin the team for 2026.

Given Horner has decided to stick with Sergio Perez for the remainder of 2024, any move from Verstappen soon would have implications on his future due to the optics of two-star drivers leaving.