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David Coulthard has told Max Verstappen that he would get more ‘freedom’ at Ferrari than at Mercedes, if he decided to leave Red Bull.
Rumours around the four-time champion’s future are rife in 2026. Verstappen has been threatening to retire over the new regulations, but he has also been linked with other teams, with him free to leave Red Bull at the end of the year.
Naturally, Mercedes have been mentioned, given their links to the Dutchman in the past few years. Given George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s form, it seems unlikely that a change will be made, but Damon Hill fears Mercedes have hurt Russell with his contract negotiations.
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The Brit is supposed to have only a one-year deal, which could open the door for Verstappen to get a move to Mercedes. However, Ferrari are also emerging as a potential option for 2027.
Jolyon Palmer can see Verstappen replacing Charles Leclerc, with the Monegasque driver having an exit clause in his contract in 2026. There is also uncertainty around Lewis Hamilton’s future, and Coulthard thinks Ferrari could be a better fit for Verstappen.
Ferrari would give Max Verstappen more ‘freedom’ than Mercedes, says David Coulthard
It is unclear what Verstappen will do with his F1 future, but Coulthard believes that Ferrari will give him more ‘freedom’ to be himself than Mercedes will.
He said via the Up To Speed podcast: “Yeah, I think that Max actually, as a shoo-in, fits better to the Ferrari world than the Mercedes world.
“I know that they have this good relationship and I know that he’s racing a Mercedes in the GT3 events that he does.
“But the freedom to be Max, I think would be a more comfortable fit at Ferrari because you would just turn up, drive quickly, presumably win the races and then head home.”
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Verstappen’s future will certainly be a topic of discussion throughout 2026. However, Red Bull may have thrown another spanner in the works with their latest developments in Miami.
The RB22’s upgrades put the Dutchman on the front row of the grid for the first time this season, and he managed to secure P5 after spinning on lap one and receiving a five-second penalty for crossing the pit exit line.
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Lando Norris reached seven seasons in a row with his P2 in Miami!
Ralf Schumacher thinks ‘Verstappen is back’ after Red Bull gave him a ‘drivable’ car in Miami. The 28-year-old admitted himself that he felt more comfortable in the RB22 over the weekend.
‘Everyone’ in Verstappen’s entourage saw he was eager to race again in Miami. Whether Red Bull can keep that up remains to be seen, but the progress being made is encouraging.
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