Max Verstappen warned about ‘risk’ of staying at Red Bull over making 2026 Mercedes move

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Pressure is mounting on Red Bull to deliver a car that can bring Max Verstappen back to the top step of the podium, not least as Mercedes catch up to their former title rivals.

Mercedes has spent the last two seasons on the back foot after producing no wins in 2023 and suffering the most from the bouncing problems in 2022.

The team produced an update to their car at the Monaco Grand Prix and it has since turned around their fortunes, with the team winning two of the last four races.

Amid the unrest at the start of the season at Red Bull and the ongoing search for more performance to maintain their advantage in the Championship battle, Verstappen has been openly courted by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff over a sensational switch to the Silver Arrows.

At the moment it appears as though Mercedes is finding more performance than Red Bull, although team principal Christian Horner has made it clear the Dutchman intends to see out his contract. Former F1 mechanic Marc Priestley has warned Verstappen of the dangers this could have to his future title battles when speaking on his YouTube.

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

Max Verstappen issued warning over Red Bull contract

Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until at least the end of the 2028 season, marking it one of the longest contracts among the current drivers.

There will likely be certain performance clauses attached to that for both parties to oblige, however, the uncertainty surrounding Red Bull’s powertrain for 2026 is one of the big question marks for Verstappen according to Priestley.

“If these frustrations boil over, if Red Bull is unable to develop the car in the same way Max expects it to be delivered, in the same way the others around them are doing so, I wonder if he might look elsewhere? I wonder if Mercedes looks like a more attractive option,” said Priestley.

“As we look towards 2026 with the new engine and chassis regulations, yes you could pin your colours to the mast at Red Bull and help them develop their power unit. However, they are new to that game. There is some element of risk in that, who knows what they will be able to deliver? Mercedes would seem like a much surer bet, someone who has consistently delivered very strong power units.”

Mercedes could have early edge in 2026

There are currently six power unit manufacturers signed up for F1 in 2026, however, that could be reduced to five if rumours are to be believed over Renault’s commitments.

If Renault does decide to pull out, Alpine is potentially looking at partnering with Mercedes which would give them another team to gather data from alongside the two other teams it supplies plus its works team.

Carlos Sainz was previously rumoured to be considering a move to Williams based on the Mercedes power unit alone, while Peter Windsor believes Red Bull could have a strong offering based on the people he has spoken to at Red Bull Powertrains.

Mercedes has produced the most successful power unit in the hybrid era so far, having won titles between 2014 and 2020. One of the key architects of that success, Andy Cowell, has recently joined Aston Martin amid their switch to Honda power for 2026.