Johnny Herbert gives his ‘gut feeling’ on who Max Verstappen will drive for in 2026 with Red Bull exit clause ready

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli stopped Max Verstappen’s run of 31 consecutive point-scoring Grand Prix finishes at the Austrian GP, which may also now help him to leave Red Bull.

The four-time champion had taken points in each Grand Prix from the 2024 Japanese GP to the 2025 Canadian GP. But Verstappen was powerless to prevent a first-lap retirement in the Austrian GP after Mercedes rookie Antonelli wiped the 27-year-old out at Turn 3 last Sunday.

It was the first rookie error that the 18-year-old has made since replacing Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 F1 season, as Antonelli locked his rear brakes and hit the rear of his Red Bull rival’s car. Verstappen also now sits 61 points behind Oscar Piastri in the F1 drivers’ championship.

Ranking third in the standings at the close of June also means an exit clause in Verstappen’s Red Bull contract through 2028 is now ready. The Dutchman is free to trigger his clause and leave Milton Keynes at the end of this year, with Mercedes and Aston Martin eying a swoop.

Johnny Herbert backs Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull and join Aston Martin in 2026

Mercedes are desperate to sign Verstappen for the 2026 season, as the Silver Arrows do not believe George Russell and Antonelli can fill the commercial void that Hamilton created. The Brackley bunch are also yet to sign Russell or Antonelli to new contracts to stay next season.

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

But Johnny Herbert says his ‘gut feeling’ is that Verstappen will leave Red Bull and join Aston Martin, instead of Mercedes. He feels the preparations underway in Silverstone for the 2026 F1 regulations when Honda will leave Red Bull for Aston Martin makes them the better pick.

“The only thing a driver wants to know is what kind of car he’ll be given next year,” Herbert told Vision4Sport, via quotes by sport.de. “‘Show me the engine data [and] show me where the car stands performance-wise, then I can see if I can do anything with it’.

“Mercedes are currently doing very well in the world championship battle. Looking ahead, you can also say that Aston Martin have put together a strong team, plus a new factory and a new wind tunnel. They’ve done everything they can to be successful with Honda next year.

“These are all positive things… From my gut feeling, Verstappen to Aston Martin makes the most sense.”

Max Verstappen is expected to join Mercedes if he leaves Red Bull

Despite Herbert’s belief that a move to Aston Martin would make the ‘most sense’, it is said that Verstappen has one foot in Mercedes with talks intensifying in the coming weeks. He is increasingly convinced that the Dutchman’s days in Milton Keynes are now nearing the end.

Verstappen has driven for Red Bull since 2016 and secured all four of his titles to date at the Milton Keynes crew, while also powered by Honda engines. Yet Red Bull fear Verstappen will leave them as he considers joining Mercedes, where boss Toto Wolff is desperate for a deal.

The Austrian GP, where Russell revealed Mercedes are in ongoing talks with Verstappen, did not help Red Bull’s hopes, either. McLaren’s Lando Norris won from pole position at the Red Bull Ring, where Verstappen would have qualified P3 at best without the yellow flags in Q3.

Given McLaren’s sheer supremacy at the Austrian GP, Verstappen’s manager held crisis talks with Red Bull sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff. Red Bull’s management is doing everything it can to convince Verstappen to stay there, but even an improved salary might not be enough.