Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull remains uncertain. For Ralf Schumacher, the Dutchman now faces a real dilemma.
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Under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, Max Verstappen could, however, change teams much earlier. The difficulties faced by the Austrian team since the beginning of the year have reignited questions about his future.
After eleven Grands Prix, the four-time world champion has yet to win a single race in 2026. The RB22 started the season far from the expected level, although the latest upgrades introduced by Red Bull have helped reduce some of its deficit.
Performance-related clauses are reportedly included in Verstappen’s contract and could allow him to leave the team before its term. For Ralf Schumacher, this situation is beginning to have consequences far beyond just the Dutchman’s future.
The driver market could be shaken up
The former F1 driver is particularly questioning the situation of Carlos Sainz at Williams. The Spaniard could also play a role in the upcoming movements on the grid.
“I’m curious about Sainz. He seems to have declined an offer from Williams”, Schumacher explains to Sky Deutschland. “Does this have anything to do with Max Verstappen possibly leaving Red Bull? Oscar Piastri has lost some of his status. Or is Sainz perhaps heading to Audi?”
According to Schumacher, Williams’ situation adds another unknown to the market. The British team is going through a difficult first half of the season after betting heavily on the new technical regulations.
“Things are turbulent at Williams. The team made a huge mistake with the car”, the German believes, also pointing to James Vowles’ responsibility in the current difficulties.
A possible departure of Verstappen could therefore trigger a chain reaction and open several possibilities for drivers currently considering their futures.
“Something has broken” between Verstappen and Red Bull
Despite these speculations, staying at Red Bull remains a serious possibility for Verstappen. The 28-year-old driver knows the Milton Keynes environment perfectly and has won his four world titles there.
But Schumacher believes the relationship between the two parties is no longer as strong as before.
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“Something has broken between Verstappen and Red Bull”, he states. “The ongoing discussions about his future also end up becoming exhausting for the team.”
For the former driver, Red Bull also bears a significant part of the responsibility in this situation.
“The team has not been up to par either. The car was particularly bad at the start of the season, although the upgrades have somewhat improved things. But it remains very difficult to drive.”
McLaren, a temptation for Verstappen?
Among the possibilities mentioned is McLaren. The Woking team has just reached an important milestone by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix with Lando Norris, confirming the progress made thanks to its latest upgrades.
Another factor could weigh in Verstappen’s reflection: his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is set to join McLaren by 2028 at the latest.
“On one hand, Max feels good at Red Bull. On the other, there is McLaren, where Lando Norris can win with this car”, continues Schumacher. “Max undoubtedly assumes he could do even better there himself.”
The whole question now would be whether Verstappen still believes in Red Bull’s recovery.
“The question is whether Max has lost confidence in Red Bull’s ability to turn things around, or if this restructuring simply takes too long in his eyes.”
After several years of dominance, Verstappen thus faces a decisive choice: wait and bet on Red Bull’s return to the top, or try to continue his quest for world titles with a new team.
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