Ralf Schumacher thinks Verstappen will no longer be driving at Red Bull in 2026

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Ralf Schumacher thinks Verstappen will leave Red Bull in 2026
3 June at 09:00
Last update 3 June at 09:05
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  • Cas van de Kleut

Max Verstappen has been linked to Mercedes for a long time, but after the weekend, a switch to the German racing stable is definitely off the table. Indeed, GPblog has learned that Verstappen will stay with Red Bull in 2025. Yet Ralf Schumacher thinks the Dutchman will leave the Austrian racing stable in 2026, he told Formel1.de.

Recent race weekends have shown that Red Bull is no longer as dominant as before. Ferrari and McLaren have caught up hugely with the Austrian racing team. This is obviously to Verstappen's disadvantage. The Dutchman is currently the world championship leader, but things have become more exciting in recent weeks.

'Verstappen no longer with Red Bull in 2026'

From 2026, the engine regulations will be changed. It remains to be seen for whom these changes will work out best. Schumacher then says: "I believe that Max Verstappen and, above all, father Jos, know what they want. They also know that such dominance doesn't last forever and are of course already looking for the dominance to last."

The German continued: "You can hear that the team is still a bit torn internally, even if they have smoked the peace pipe, but this harmony is spread internally and externally, which I also think is good. I think Red Bull has suffered enough. But still, internally things probably look different. And I would be surprised if Max Verstappen stayed at Red Bull beyond 2026."

Sources have told GPblog that a switch from Verstappen to Mercedes is out of the question for the time being, but Schumacher thinks this is not the case: "Not at all, I don’t believe so. Because Max Verstappen will be on the look out for the best car. And at the moment it’s not the Red Bull. Like I said on the weekend, at the moment the McLaren is the most complete packet, and the Ferrari, but the RedB ull is just hard to drive. Without the Max factor, they wouldn’t have won in Imola."

He continues: "Otherwise, you have to be that honest. And now Waché has to prove that he can do it just as well as Newey." 

This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.