Max Verstappen may delay any team switch until 2026, waiting to see who masters F1’s sweeping rule changes.
Will Max Verstappen take the risk of switching teams as early as 2026?
If Red Bull’s performance continues to slide, the four-time world champion might start looking for a new challenge. But former Haas F1 team boss and current paddock pundit Günther Steiner believes Max will likely wait a little longer—just to see who gets the 2026 regulation reset right.
Even if that means sacrificing another season.
“I think he wants to see what 2026 brings,” Steiner said. “If he makes a decision in 2025, no one really knows who’s going to get it right for the new rules. He could end up making the wrong call.”
“So I believe he’ll wait for 2026, then make a move if Red Bull doesn’t deliver. If they miss the mark, he’ll try to make something happen for 2027.”
Of course, contracts complicate things. Verstappen has performance clauses that could give him an out, but nothing’s certain.
“Whether those clauses work in his favor or not, I don’t know. But his team—everyone around him—are top-level negotiators. They know how to get deals done.”
Limited Options on the Table
If Verstappen does decide to move on, the list of realistic destinations is surprisingly short.
“I don’t think McLaren is an option for him,” Steiner said. “His best bet would be Mercedes. Ferrari’s out of the picture with Hamilton and Leclerc locked in. So who else is there?”
“Aston Martin could be interesting. With Adrian Newey working on their 2026 car, and Honda on board, they might pull something big off. But no one really knows how strong they’ll be.”
“So right now, it’s probably just Mercedes or Aston Martin. I don’t see McLaren or Ferrari happening.”
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Verstappen set to wait out F1 shake-up until 2026
Verstappen set to wait out F1 shake-up until 2026
