(Motorsport-Total.com) – Was Silverstone the race that was the last straw? Expert Ralf Schumacher at least no longer believes that Max Verstappen will still be driving for Red Bull in Formula 1 next year. “I believe Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull,” said Schumacher in the podcast Backstage Boxengasse from Sky.
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The speculations that Verstappen could turn his back on the Bulls are not new. But after the Dutchman had another accident in Silverstone on Sunday caused by the car, Schumacher says: “I believe the rumors are intensifying.”
Verstappen’s crash is only the tip of the iceberg. Because earlier in the weekend there were already disagreements between the team and the driver. For example, Verstappen wanted to start from the pit lane on Sunday, but Red Bull rejected this.
Apart from that, they reportedly did not agree on setup questions, which is why Schumacher explains that “a certain breach of trust between driver and team” has now occurred. “I believe that Max has lost faith in the team,” said the expert.
That is why he also believes that Verstappen will leave Red Bull – even though his contract actually runs until the end of 2028. However, it is known that there is an exit clause in his contract that would allow him to leave earlier.
Trouble over Verstappen’s exit clause?
Red Bull actually wants to buy out this clause from Verstappen. But the four-time world champion is said not to have agreed to this so far. According to Schumacher, this has now caused frustration on the other side.
“As far as I know, Max Verstappen was also taken very badly for not making it clear at the Red Bull Ring, when everyone was there, that he was waiving this clause,” said the expert, who is therefore no longer sure whether Red Bull will really do everything in the future to keep Verstappen.
“I believe both sides are now at the point where [a separation] no longer hurts,” said Schumacher. Or in other words: Not only has Verstappen, in his opinion, lost trust in the team, but Red Bull itself could currently live with letting the Dutchman go.
One possible scenario according to Schumacher would be “a quasi-swap” with McLaren, in which Verstappen moves to Woking and Oscar Piastri switches to Red Bull. This idea is not new. The Italian edition of Motorsport.com first reported on it back in May.
Does Verstappen trust McLaren more than Red Bull?
Although Piastri, like Verstappen at Red Bull, actually still has a longer contract with his team, according to Schumacher it would be “quite conceivable” that both drivers simply swap cockpits.
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McLaren boss Zak Brown emphasized over the weekend in Silverstone that he is “very satisfied with our driver lineup.” But such statements often have little value in Formula 1 based on experience.
Schumacher, however, thinks that Verstappen would be very interested in a move to McLaren, because: “I believe he feels that with McLaren he can immediately get back to the top and immediately compete for wins again.”
Silverstone: Driver ratings by Marc Surer and the editorial team
Although McLaren has also slipped down the Formula 1 pecking order this year after two consecutive constructor titles and is currently only in third place behind Mercedes and Ferrari, the team from Woking might achieve the “comeback” faster than Red Bull.
In addition, Verstappen’s close confidant Gianpiero Lambiase has already signed a contract with McLaren and will move there by 2028 at the latest. Rob Marshall and Will Courtenay, two other long-time Red Bull faces, now also work for McLaren.
Why a separation could also help Red Bull
And according to Schumacher, a separation from Verstappen could also make sense for the Bulls themselves. “Max Verstappen costs around 100 million [per year]. At least that’s the rumor with everything that goes with it,” explains the expert, who questions how sensible it is for Red Bull to currently spend so much money on one driver.
Because according to the expert, the racing team is facing “a difficult time” anyway. “And then the question is whether you have to spend so much money even though you are not winning,” said Schumacher. Another driver would probably be significantly cheaper for Red Bull than Verstappen.
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Schumacher also explains that all the discussions around Verstappen are currently only harming Red Bull. “The problem is, if you spend more time discussing things and trying to regain trust in some form, then it distracts you from the actual things,” said the expert.
Or in other words: A Verstappen departure could possibly help bring a bit more calm to the team at Red Bull and focus on the essential things. Since the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi, the Bulls have not won a Formula 1 race and have only achieved two more podiums.
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