Nico Rosberg makes ‘impatient’ prediction about Max Verstappen’s F1 future and Red Bull in 2026

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Max Verstappen just fell agonisingly short of a fifth consecutive Formula 1 title after a three-way showdown at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Despite ending the season with 10 consecutive podiums, reducing the gap in the drivers’ championship by 102 points, he didn’t quite have enough in the tank to beat McLaren.

It’s still a sensational result compared to what Verstappen could have dreamed of in the summer. Even he had written off his own chances.

But Red Bull put up an excellent fight and refused to give in right until the end. Now their attention can turn to the 2026 F1 regulations.

How the Drivers’ Championship would’ve looked without THAT swap in Monza…🤯

Should Max Verstappen feel aggrieved that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri swapping places in Monza may have been the difference in the Drivers' Championship?

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Verstappen was ‘a lot more relaxed’ after Christian Horner’s sacking, according to Martin Brundle, who saw a bit of a change in the Dutchman.

Immediately after losing the title, Verstappen congratulated Norris on the achievement, and for the first time in over four years, is no longer a hunted man.

READ MORE: F1 fans all agree with what Damon Hill has just said about Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi

Nico Rosberg expects ‘impatient’ Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull if 2026 is tough

Laurent Mekies broke a promise to McLaren in the title decider, after insisting that his team would race cleanly. Instead, Yuki Tsunoda fought very hard against Norris.

Although he held him up a little, it wasn’t enough for him to drop off the podium at the end of the Grand Prix. The Briton also escaped a penalty for overtaking him with all four wheels off the track.

Verstappen fans said the same thing about Norris and felt as though he probably deserved some sort of punishment for his infringement, but he didn’t really have anywhere to go.

After losing the title, Nico Rosberg thinks an ‘impatient’ Verstappen could look to leave Red Bull in 2026 if he doesn’t have the chance to win again.

“He will see how the season starts next year and then potentially switch to whichever team has the best car,” he said on Sky Sports F1. “He can pick and choose. I think he is going to be a bit impatient. He wants to keep winning and get that fifth world championship.

“If I had to predict something, I think it could go that way. Anyway, it’s still early days. Let’s be patient. Red Bull could still be the dominant force next year.”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Lando Norris becomes 2025 Formula 1 champion

Where might Max Verstappen go if he decides to leave Red Bull in 2026?

Verstappen has ‘already entered negotiations’ with Mercedes and has a much better relationship with the Silver Arrows team boss, Toto Wolff, than he once had.

They’re definitely an avenue that could be explored in the future, if he decides that he needs a change of scenery, and Kimi Antonelli continues to struggle for them.

Verstappen ‘tries his best’ to speak to Aston Martin staff in the paddock, and it looks as though he might be prepared to size up a reunion with Adrian Newey, too.

The benefit he has is that when the new regulations begin, he has 12 months to assess who has the best car and effectively hand-select where he wants to go from there. Everyone will want to sign him.