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Max Verstappen has been told that he must leave Red Bull because he will not be Formula 1’s best driver ‘forever’.
At the age of just 28, Verstappen is already regarded as one of the best drivers in F1’s rich history, having won four world titles with Red Bull.
However, the Dutchman has endured a tough start to the 2026 season as he is currently ninth in the standings, having only scored 12 points from three races.
It has been well documented that Verstappen is not keen on the sport’s new regulations, which he previously compared to playing ‘Mario Kart’.
Following last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, it was reported that Verstappen could retire from F1 at the end of the 2026 season.
To add to Verstappen’s discontent over the new rules, Red Bull’s challenger for 2026, the RB22, is not yet good enough to compete with the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari.
Final time 💪 Who is the F1 GOAT, Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna?
Rob Smedley says Max Verstappen shouldn’t wait for Red Bull to improve
Speaking about Verstappen’s future on the latest episode of the High Performance Racing podcast, ex-Ferrari and Williams race engineer Rob Smedley urged the Dutchman to consider his future if Red Bull fail to improve.
He also added that Verstappen needs to put his career first and should not think about being loyal to Red Bull as he will not be at the top of the sport forever.
Smedley said: “Has Max got the patience to see all that come together? My answer is no, and my answer is also, I would back that up by saying nor should he.
“He’s an athlete, he’s at the pinnacle of his career, he is undoubtedly, I think, the best driver out there right now. They would resoundingly vote for Max as the best pound-for-pound driver in 2026.
“So, there’s no doubt that he is at the absolute peak of his career. That’s not going to last forever.
“He shouldn’t have patience; he should just go where, if he gets an offer to go in a better car, all bets are off. Loyalty is out of the window, I’m afraid. That’s how it is with athletes and drivers.”
Prime Max Verstappen and prime Lewis Hamilton. Equal car, one lap. Who’s faster?
And what's the gap?
READ MORE: Max Verstappen told he has no reason to join McLaren over Mercedes if he leaves Red Bull
Max Verstappen speaks out ahead of F1 return as Red Bull upgrades planned
During the month-long break, teams have been working around the clock to make improvements ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
It has been noted that Red Bull are looking to bring a much lighter RB22 to Miami, aiming to improve the car’s performance.
Speaking recently, Verstappen stated that he felt ‘really good’ to be back in an F1 car after a long break.
As reported by RacingNews365, Verstappen said: “It was really good to be back in the car after a short break.
“Even though it was a movie day, it was nice to see everyone’s face again. It’s always nice to be back with the team and get used to the speeds of an F1 car before we leave for Miami. In that respect, it was a good day for me.”
Verstappen will be hoping Red Bull’s planned upgrades work as intended as he looks to move further up the grid.
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