Martin Brundle warns Max Verstappen it won’t be ‘easy’ to leave Red Bull in 2027

Follow us on Google Discover

Martin Brundle does not think Max Verstappen will find it ‘easy’ to leave Red Bull at the end of the 2026 season, as his options for 2027, for now at least, are limited.

Speculation about the Red Bull driver’s future has been rife as he expressed his discontent over the 2026 cars and regulations. The FIA have made several adjustments to the rules for the Miami GP, but Verstappen’s ‘prayers’ are still unanswered.

Until there are wholesale changes to the regulations, Verstappen is unlikely to be fully satisfied – these changes are not expected until 2027. This has led to the Dutchman openly saying that he is considering walking away from F1 at the end of the season.

While a sabbatical is possible, the 28-year-old could also leave Red Bull for another team if their performance does not improve. Verstappen’s exit clause in 2026 details that he can push for an exit if he is not in the top two of the standings – he is currently ninth.

Johnny Herbert backs Verstappen to join McLaren, Ferrari, or Mercedes instead of taking a sabbatical in 2027. But the problem, as Brundle points out, is that those three teams do not have a space for him.

Martin Brundle says it will not be ‘easy’ for Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull for a top-three team

Zak Brown has ‘no intention’ of changing McLaren’s line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Mercedes are committed to George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari have Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who are flourishing under the new regulations.

Asked if Red Bull will have it difficult to keep Verstappen, Brundle told Sky Sports: “They have, I think, because Max has made it quite clear he wanted to see how the car goes, and so any updates they bring…

“The power unit has been pretty impressive actually. So, the car itself has been struggling a bit, we’ll see again.

“Red Bull will have some big changes this weekend. So Max will want to see through the mid-season that they’re on top of these regulations, they’re on top of the car.

Can Red Bull attract great drivers to their team if Max Verstappen leaves?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

“[I’m] not sure it’s that easy for Max to just jump ship at the moment. I mean, Mercedes have got two homegrown talents in their car in Russell and Antonelli, and McLaren are set fair with a tremendous lineup that gels very much.

“Ferrari with Leclerc and Hamilton… if somebody springs out of one of those cars, then there’s a slot for Max. But the teams can’t, if they’re contracted and won’t want to boot out some great drivers with a great driver lineup.

“And if you’re going to leave Red Bull, for performance only, it’s going to have to be one of those three teams I just mentioned.”

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

Martin Brundle thinks any driver in a top-four team will win the 2026 championship

Brundle still believes that the 2026 championship is ‘totally wide open’, despite Mercedes taking pole position and the win in every race thus far. He thinks any top-four team driver is in with a shot of winning the title.

“I think it’s totally wide open,” he added. “We have got a Sprint weekend in Miami, so there are Sprint points to be won, Grand Prix points to be won.

“This is going to ebb and flow. I see teams leapfrogging others with some upgrades because there is so much upside potential with these cars.

“Anybody I would say in the top four teams, any of those eight drivers, could win this year’s world championship.”