Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen is beginning to worry staff within the team that he might decide to leave Formula 1 sooner rather than later.
Max Verstappen doesn’t appear to be a championship contender this season based on how the Australian Grand Prix played out for the 28-year-old.
A bizarre crash in qualifying that Red Bull couldn’t explain to Martin Brundle meant that Verstappen had to make his way through the pack from P20 on Sunday.
A first fastest lap of the season for Max Verstappen! Where would he have finished if he started in the top 10?
Verstappen then had to deal with a battery deployment issue off the line, and did well to fight back to sixth by the time he reached the chequered flag.
However, it’s quite clear that F1’s new ruleset isn’t particularly enjoyable for the 28-year-old, with Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc also critical of the sport’s new regulations.
Now, staff within the Red Bull set-up are becoming concerned that he could turn his back on Formula 1 and pursue other opportunities sooner rather than later.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
‘A lot of people’ at Red Bull think Max Verstappen might ‘step away’ from the team
Speaking on the Inside the Piranha Club Podcast, journalists Ben Hunt and Mark Mann-Bryans were discussing the new Red Bull line-up.
Verstappen has been joined by Isack Hadjar this year, who had a brilliant qualifying in Australia to start P3, only for a technical failure to deny him the chance to fight for a second career F1 podium.
Talking about the young Frenchman, Hunt said: “I think it remains an unknown for Verstappen and the Verstappens as to how he will behave.
“The expectation is perhaps that he may be forced to play second fiddle.
“I don’t think he’s going to play that willingly, and that unknown could cause a few problems.”
Finish the sentence: In 2027, Max Verstappen will be driving for…
Let us know in the comments!
Mann-Bryans replied: “I think he [Hadjar] might benefit from the new rules. No one really knows these rules at the moment, do they?
“He’s not going to a team where the car has been completely designed, and we know Verstappen’s going to get in it and win races.
“I also think timing-wise, if anyone at Red Bull, a lot of people do think that Max might step away from that team in the next couple of years.
“It’s time to start moving all of those eggs out of that one basket and sharing them around a little bit, isn’t it?”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Red Bull wanted Max Verstappen to extend Red Bull contract early
The F1 driver market hasn’t kicked into gear yet, but with so many drivers out of contract at the end of the season, it won’t be long until rumours start to circulate.
Verstappen’s current contract runs until the end of 2028, but there are plenty of clauses on both sides that could allow the Dutchman to leave early should he wish.
One of those clauses is believed to be that Verstappen can leave at the end of the year if he’s not in the top two of the drivers’ championship by the summer break.
Unless Red Bull take a significant step forward very quickly, that looks incredibly unlikely, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli looking more than capable of keeping up with George Russell, and both Ferrari drivers suddenly in contention.
Red Bull wanted Verstappen to extend his contract earlier in the year to avoid him becoming disheartened by F1’s new regulations.
It appears as though that opportunity might have passed, putting Laurent Mekies in a difficult position.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
