Decision on Max Verstappen's departure from Red Bull already made, claims insider

The decision for Max Verstappen's departure from Red Bull is already made. That's the view of Ralf Schumacher, as the German claims that the Dutch driver's stint at the Austrian team comes to an end at the end of 2026.

Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull is a subject that continues to get brought up again and again, especially since the Austrian team has been struggling for form since last season. The team was dominant in 2023 when it lost just one race in the entire season.

From 2024, however, things have started to change, and so have the dynamics. This season as well, Red Bull doesn't have the best car on the grid, and it has been Max Verstappen's brilliance that has continued to make the difference.

Max Verstappen is only a point behind championship leader Lando Norris, but Ralf Schumacher thinks that this doesn't change the fact that the Dutch driver has already made a call on what his future is going to be. Talking about it on his podcast Backstage Boxengasse, he said,

"One thing is as clear as day for me. Christian Horner will hate me again and want to sue me again, but in my eyes Verstappen will not stay at Red Bull. That's not just because the car isn't that good, but of course also because of that new engine (Red Bull's own engine in collaboration with Ford, ed.)."

He added:

"And no matter how you look at it, with engines from Mercedes and Honda, for example, you know what you have. In the case of Red Bull, that's harder to estimate. They still have problems with the electrical components and you can't just build those. That's why, in my opinion, that decision has already been made."

George Russell could move to Red Bull if Max Verstappen moves to Mercedes

Talking about the future line-ups, Ralf Schumacher said that if we see a scenario where Max Verstappen does move on from Red Bull , there's a possibility that he gets replaced by George Russell. The British driver has been impressive at Mercedes, and his contract expires at the end of the 2025 F1 season. Schumacher said,

"Then you look at what you can get back as Red Bull," Schumacher continues. "Maybe someone like George Russell will be freed up if Verstappen were to go to Mercedes. And then of course you have Isack Hadjar. If he continues his development, then it makes sense to move him on and build something with someone from our own ranks and maybe create a new Max Verstappen. I have no doubts about that."

It should be noted that Verstappen's contract with Red Bull runs up to the end of the 2028 F1 season. There are exit clauses in place for sure, but if he can continue to fight for the title, then it will not matter if there are other suitors trying to bring him into the fold.