Max Verstappen: Red Bull driver options for 2027 switch assessed after ‘disappointing’ British GP weekend | F1 News

A hugely disappointing British Grand Prix weekend for Max Verstappen did little to calm speculation about the four-time world champion’s potential exit from Red Bull at the end of the season.

The build-up to Silverstone has been dominated by questions surrounding a June meeting between representatives of McLaren and Verstappen, where the Dutchman himself, current McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastre and McLaren chief executive Jack Brown were all questioned.

There wasn’t anything overly significant to glean from their answers, but the most significant developments in terms of Verstappen’s future would come later in the weekend.

After dropping from third on the grid to finish sixth in Saturday’s sprint, Verstappen finished just seventh in overall qualifying later in the day, two places behind his team-mate Issac Hajjar.

On Saturday night he said there was “no point in competing” in the race if Red Bull couldn’t fix the top-speed problem.

Then, in his brief post-race interview, he appeared to criticize his team for rejecting his wish to change cars which would have required him to start in the pit lane at the back of the field.

Despite not having great race pace, Verstappen was poised to salvage a podium – largely thanks to the bad luck of others – before he crashed in the closing stages, caused by a rear wing fault – which had cost him qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix the previous weekend.

This time Verstappen said he was “upset” at the “dangerous” nature of his car, while the team offered a public apology to their star driver.

The result officially confirmed that Verstappen, who is seventh in the world championship, will not be in the top two when the summer break begins after the races in Belgium and Hungary, meaning a clause in his contract that allows him to move to another team in 2027 will be triggered.

The combination of that technicality and Verstappen’s seeming displeasure with his team means rumblings over his future are set to get louder in the build-up throughout the upcoming double-header.

Button: Verstappen will be ruthless and selfish

Speaking on the latest episode of Sky Sports’ The F1 Show, former world champion Jenson Button said Verstappen had to be “ruthless” and “selfish” in his decisions.

“I think Red Bull’s Max is really disappointed at the moment,” Button said.

“He’s happy most of the time, but I think he’s very disappointed with the situation. A lot of people he’s worked with for years and won championships have left and gone somewhere else.

“It must be very strange, it must feel a bit lonely for him in that team, everyone is brand new around him, so I think he will look elsewhere, I really do, for next year.”

Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes over the past few years, with Silver Arrows chief Toto Wolff publicly courting him at times, but world championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s stunning start to 2026 appears to have cooled their interest.

Although Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, has struggled for form in recent weeks, both Britt and Wolff said his seat is safe for next year.

Button continued: “If I were his manager, the team I’d want him in would be at Mercedes, obviously, alongside Kimi or with Jorge, whichever they choose going forward.

“You have to be ruthless, you have to be selfish in his position because he’s so far into his career.”

Davidson: Antonelli-Verstappen pairing could work

Sky Sports F1’s Anthony Davidson believes Verstappen’s good relationship with Mercedes’ Antonelli and McLaren’s Norris could work with either of them.

“I think it can work, Kimi and Max, there’s a respect, there’s a bit of camaraderie,” Davidson said on The F1 Show. “I think Max probably sees a lot of himself in young Kimi when Max first came (into F1).

“And, also, he’s friends with Lando, who was pretty adamant at Silverstone that he’d still be at McLaren and that he’d relish the chance to have Verstappen as a teammate.

“For these guys who think they’re at the top of their game – Lando Norris, world champion – ‘Yeah, turn it on! Let’s see what the so-called best in the business is like alongside me!’

“You’ve got to put yourself up against the best. It’s a ‘get it’ moment for these guys.”

Davidson also questioned whether “incoherence” at Red Bull was playing a role in Verstappen’s apparent temptation to leave the team.

While many believe Christian Horner was sacked as Red Bull team principal last July to appease Verstappen’s camp, Davidson believes the departure of long-time motorsport adviser Helmut Marko at the end of 2025 could cause discontent.

He added: “I’m still surprised that Max is still oblivious to the fact that Red Bull, as a collective, got rid of the man who gave Max his chance – Helmut Marko.

“I think there is still turmoil in the team. Team Verstappen and Team Red Bull, there is disharmony and I don’t understand why.”

Verstappen confronts Brandl over ‘problem’

of Sky Sports F1 Martin Brundle questions whether, despite being widely regarded as the best driver on the grid at the moment, Verstappen actually lacks options away from Red Bull.

Like Mercedes and McLaren, Ferrari has both drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc – contracted until at least the end of the 2027 season.

He spoke at the time of Sky Sports F1 Of Silverstone coverage, Brundle said: “I think if he can go, he’ll go at some point, whether it’s 2027 or 2028, and do something new for him.

“We see drivers do that. We see Lewis Hamilton do it, for example, and get a reset and a new challenge at Ferrari after a long time at Mercedes.

“Max put some faith in the new Red Bull power unit and it turned out to be a very good decision.”

“The problem Max has is that there are three teams he can look at – Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes – and they all seem very, very locked into their current driver line-ups for at least 2027 and, often, beyond.”

Formula 1’s summer run continues with the Belgian Grand Prix at legendary Spa-Francorchamps on July 17-19, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime