 "Max Verstappen finished P6 at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday. Image: Reuters")
Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull Racing soon if the team doesn’t fix their car problems, according to former F1 driver and expert Ralf Schumacher. He believes Verstappen “will definitely leave” if the big upgrades Red Bull are planning for the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix don’t work out.
Red Bull hasn’t been able to get the car right and it’s affecting Verstappen’s chances of winning the drivers’ championship. If Verstappen decides to leave Red Bull, Schumacher thinks Aston Martin is the team he might join next.
“I’m pretty sure that if the upgrade on the car doesn’t take effect by Imola and the new engine [for 2026] doesn’t run quite as well, Max Verstappen will definitely leave the team. You can see the difference he makes, you absolutely have to get this driver, and everyone wants to have him,” Schumacher told Sky Germany.
“A bigger adventure awaits Verstappen at Aston Martin. Together with Adrian Newey, whom he knows very well, he also knows Honda very well, and [there is] also a new factory that has a future,” he added.
Verstappen started the 2025 season hoping to win his fifth straight championship, just like Michael Schumacher once did. But after only four races, things are already looking tough for the reigning champion. At the recently concluded Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen secured the sixth spot, while his teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished ninth.
Tensions rising inside Red Bull
Even though Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix with an amazing drive from pole position, things didn’t stay good for long. In the next race in Bahrain, Red Bull struggled again. After the race, Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen was seen arguing with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, showing that tensions are rising inside the team.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMarko later told German TV that “the concern is great” over possibility of Verstappen leaving Red Bull in the next season.
Why Aston Martin?
If Verstappen does leave, Aston Martin could be where he ends up. The team has been improving quickly, and with a strong deal with Honda, the company that used to make Red Bull’s engines, they’re becoming an attractive option for top drivers like Verstappen.