Karun Chandhok pinpoints when Max Verstappen will decide whether he wants to leave Red Bull

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Max Verstappen faces a critical decision on his Formula 1 future in 2026 as the regulations changes could see him leave Red Bull.

Lando Norris beat Verstappen to the 2025 title by just two points. The Dutchman will be looking to take his crown back, but the 2026 F1 regulations are set to dramatically shift the pecking order.

Red Bull will become an engine supplier next year with Red Bull Powertrains, in collaboration with Ford. The team hope it will give Verstappen the tools to succeed in 2026, but early indications are cause for concern, especially with key personnel leaving the team.

Helmut Marko has left Red Bull after 20 years, which could create doubts around Verstappen’s future. He was the Austrian’s closest ally, having had a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave with Marko if he was sacked back in 2024.

Red Bull have ‘explicitly’ reiterated their commitment to Verstappen and vice versa, with the 28-year-old telling the team he will stay in 2026 amid links to Mercedes. But next season could throw everything up in the air.

Karun Chandhok reckons Max Verstappen will decide whether to leave Red Bull by the summer break in 2026

Verstappen will want the best car on the grid to win his fifth world championship. If Red Bull do not have the package, he has the freedom to move elsewhere.

Verstappen has an exit clause in his contract that allows him to leave the team if he is not in the top two of the championship. The Dutchman will want to look at the pecking order first, and Karun Chandhok thinks his final decision will come by the summer break.

He said on The F1 Show: “Exactly that, Max Verstappen, I think, will be in the best car in 2027. Which one that will be, we don’t know yet. He doesn’t know yet.

“Next year, the first quarter of next year will be a look, watch, analyse, think period for him. And I think by the summer, he will pick and choose.

“And you know what? Every single team on that grid will open their arms and welcome him. Because as we’ve all established, he is the top dog on the grid today.”

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

What are people saying about Red Bull’s 2026 F1 car?

Nico Rosberg thinks Verstappen will be ‘impatient’ in 2026. He will want Red Bull to produce the best car on the grid, or he will swiftly see himself out.

Mercedes and Aston Martin have been closely watching the Dutchman and will not hesitate to make an offer if he becomes available on the Formula 1 driver market.

The ‘noise in the paddock’ says Red Bull’s 2026 engine is behind its rivals, which Verstappen will absolutely hate. The team need to make serious progress if they want any chance of keeping him beyond 2026.

Marko does not expect Red Bull to win in the first half of 2026, suggesting that they need time to develop the car. It would also suggest that Verstappen would be free to activate his exit clause if he is uncompetitive.