Verstappen to Mercedes after all? 'He is losing respect for Red Bull'

The Briton has watched McLaren excel of late, watched Mercedes crawl out of a deep slump and Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, mostly fight against itself. " It's quite a turnaround, from a situation where they had dominated all season to now struggling to get on the podium," Herbert analysed on the website Topoffshoresportsbrooks.com.

'Verstappen can always fall back on winner's mentality'

And that should stick with the Verstappen family, the three-time GP winner believes. He believes Max and his father Jos are now looking at other teams. "There is only one place really, and that is Mercedes. Toto Wolff is desperate to get Max on the books. The stars are aligning for a move there," Herbert said.

Because, Herbert believes, Verstappen has gradually finished with everything within Red Bull. "Max sounds like a driver who is starting to lose respect for Red Bull. He is making a few mistakes. The car is not performing like it was. His frustrations come out for the world to hear. I like drivers who show passion! It is a pressure though he can carry going forward. That is what the best in sport can do, deploy a winning mentality."

This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.