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The ongoing Max Verstappen saga took a new turn, and this time, it's about the driver's sabbatical. As per reports, Verstappen could sit out of the next F1 season in 2026 until he finds a suitable team if he leaves Red Bull at the end of this season.
The start to Verstappen's 2025 season has been far from ideal as the Dutchman only won one of four races. Besides this, he is also not in the lead of the championship, but in P3. As a result, the Dutchman and his camp are far from happy with Red Bull and its RB21.
As the rumors around Verstappen's departure from the Milton Keynes-based team intensified, BBC's Andrew Benson added another twist to the story. According to the renowned journalist, a close aide of the four-time world champion has revealed that Max Verstappen could sit out next year and then pick a team in 2027.
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"One of the most intriguing stories around Verstappen at the moment is that he could maybe take a sabbatical next year, just see how the rules go, and then pick a team for 2027," Benson said in BBC's Chequered Flag podcast.
"That’s an idea that was mentioned to me without me even asking by someone quite close to Max Verstappen, so I wouldn’t rule that out as an idea either. I don’t know whether they’re just playing games, of course, just to stir the pot a bit. But why not?” he added.
Verstappen enjoyed the epitome of success from 2022 to 2024, the three years under the new ground effect era, where he racked up three Championships, 43 wins, and numerous podiums. However, 2025 is far from being similar.
In 2025, McLaren has emerged as the strongest team, continuing their rise from the ashes in the last two years. On top of that, both McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are leading the title battle ahead of Verstappen, which is a big drawback for the reigning world champion in his quest for the fifth F1 title.
Everything about Max Verstappen's rumored move away from Red Bull
As Max Verstappen's struggle with the RB21 became very evident, and Red Bull, for the time being, could not provide a quick solution to the Dutchman, his rumored move away from the Christian Horner-led team is gaining ground. Besides the sabbatical, Verstappen's potential destination could be Mercedes or Aston Martin.
For a long time, Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, has shown interest in Max Verstappen. So much so, that during Verstappen's early days, there were talks about the Dutch driver making his move to Mercedes. However, it didn't work out in the end. Now, if Verstappen leaves Red Bull, Mercedes could be a real deal for him.
Mercedes reportedly has the best setup for the 2026 Power Unit compared to Honda, Ferrari, or Ford. They were the strongest team during the post-Hybrid era of 2014 to 2021, and one can expect them to be stronger under the upcoming regulations as well.
In addition to Mercedes, Aston Martin could also be a tempting destination for Max Verstappen as the partnership with Honda and Adrian Newey could be a real deal. Earlier, Verstappen won four Championships with this combination from 2021 to 2024.
