Guenther Steiner predicts Max Verstappen to take one ‘big risk’ as he weighs up leaving Red Bull for Mercedes

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Max Verstappen failed to reach the podium for the fourth time in the last five races after making an uncharacteristic mistake at the British Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver spun after the safety car peeled into the pit lane for the third time in the race on Sunday, relegating him to 10th.

Eventually, Verstappen was able to claw his way back up to fifth, but it was a missed opportunity for the reigning champion, who left a podium on the table.

Each of his title rivals finished in the top two again, with this year’s British Grand Prix confirming what should be the end of any hope of a drivers’ championship battle for Red Bull.

After adopting an aggressive setup, Silverstone exposed one ‘killer’ Red Bull problem. They suffer from a lot of understeer sometimes.

Verstappen and Red Bull’s ‘last resort’ change helped them to pole position, but in the race, their setup hampered them in wet conditions.

READ MORE: Jenson Button has mind blown by Max Verstappen moment he couldn’t ‘comprehend’ at the British Grand Prix

Guenther Steiner thinks Max Verstappen will take ‘big risk’ and leave Red Bull one day

Verstappen may be forced to consider a Red Bull u-turn after hearing about their lack of progress on one big engine issue for 2026. It could hamper their charge.

With plenty of rumours suggesting that he might be prepared to join Mercedes in the future, it’s a fragile time for his team, who have been outscored by Sauber over the last four races.

Verstappen is already treating Kimi Antonelli like his teammate, according to Juan Pablo Montoya, and ex-Haas boss Guenther Steiner wouldn’t be surprised to see him change teams in the future either.

“I would say yes at any point, I don’t think for next year. My take is he will stay where he is next year to see how the cars next year are, with the new regulations, new engines, new cars,” he told TALKSPORT.

“Everything is new, nobody really knows who is where. Who will be good? No idea, so if you make a change now, you take a big risk and at this stage, I think that he maybe stays where he is for next year.

“And maybe the end of next year, he sees how the cars stack up with a good car and then tries to get in the best car.”

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton has now exposed the ‘huge risk’ Max Verstappen would be taking by leaving Red Bull

One statistic proves that Max Verstappen is struggling more than ever at Red Bull

Verstappen has now just won four of the last 26 races, which is his worst run since the old regulations were in existence back in 2020.

He had hopes of becoming just the second ever driver to win five titles in a row this year, but it seems like McLaren have been one step ahead too often this season for that.

If the current car performance is an indication of what to expect for the 2026 F1 regulations and beyond, it’s easy to see why Verstappen might want to move elsewhere.

Toto Wolff sent a sublime message to Verstappen, according to F1 fans, with many believing that he will switch allegiances for 2026. Steiner clearly doesn’t agree.