Jenson Button has seen Max Verstappen looking ‘lonely’ at Red Bull after losing biggest ally

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Max Verstappen is facing an incredibly tense situation at Red Bull as rumours swirl around his future. Jenson Button thinks that he is feeling ‘lonely’ within the team.

The Dutchman’s frustrations with Red Bull and the 2026 F1 regulations have started to boil over, with him suffering his third DNF of the season at Silverstone. Verstappen suffered another rear wing problem as he spun out of the race at Stowe.

The British GP fuelled heavy speculation about his future in F1, with Verstappen’s manager being seen meeting with Laurent Mekies after the race, which allegedly got heated. The four-time champion is free to leave Red Bull in 2026, and his camp are assessing his options.

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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Jenson Button thinks Max Verstappen is ‘lonely’ at Red Bull

Red Bull want commitment from Verstappen for 2027, but the 28-year-old is yet to confirm that he will race with them, despite having a contract until 2028. He will not be in the top two of the standings by the summer break, allowing him to activate his exit clause.

Verstappen has been heavily linked with McLaren, and his management are also said to be speaking with Mercedes and Ferrari. Retirement is also possible, but his chances of staying with Red Bull are becoming more unlikely.

The Milton Keynes outfit are almost unrecognisable from a few years ago, with key figures such as Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall and Helmut Marko all recently leaving. Verstappen’s right-hand man Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren in 2028, marking another huge departure.

Button suspects that the Dutchman is feeling ‘lonely’ at Red Bull and should be looking to find a way out, as he said on The F1 Show.

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

“I think that Max at Red Bull – I think he sounds really frustrated at the moment,” said Button. “He puts a happy face on a lot of the time, but I think he’s very frustrated with the situation.

“A lot of people that he’s worked with for many years and won championships with have left and gone elsewhere, and it must be very strange. It must feel kind of a bit lonely in that team for him.

“Everyone’s brand new around him. So, I think he’ll be looking elsewhere. Yeah, I really do for next year. And the team that, if I was his management, would want to put him in is in Mercedes, obviously, alongside Kimi or alongside George, whichever one they choose to move on.

“But you have to, you’ve got to be ruthless, you’ve got to be selfish in his position because you know he’s a lot further into his career.”

What will Max Verstappen’s disastrous British Grand Prix mean for his relationship with Red Bull?

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Anthony Davidson suspects Max Verstappen is still ‘niggled’ by Red Bull axing Helmut Marko

Verstappen has lost several allies at Red Bull, but perhaps none have been more damaging than Marko’s exit. The Austrian was his biggest supporter, and the four-time champion had even previously said that he would leave the team if Marko did.

Red Bull felt Marko’s role was no longer needed, but Anthony Davidson theorises that Verstappen is still bothered by his exit.

Talking about Verstappen’s links to McLaren, Davidson added: “For these guys that feel like they’re right at the top of their game, Lando Norris, world champion currently, yeah, bring it on. Let’s see what the uh so-called best in the business is like alongside me.

“Well, Jenson, you did it with Lewis and Fernando, and that’s why you do it. You have to put yourself against the best. So I think for these guys, yeah, it’s a bring it on moment.

“But yeah, I’m fascinated to see how this happens. And I still wonder if Max is still niggled by the fact that Red Bull as a collective got rid of the person that gave Max his chance, Helmut Marko.

“I sense there’s something, there’s upset there still in the team. Team Verstappen and Team Red Bull, there’s disharmony, and I can’t work out why.”