Martin Brundle believes Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull for the right F1 opportunity. Martin Brundle believes Max Verstappen could eventually leave Red Bull.

Martin Brundle suggests Max Verstappen may eventually seek a fresh challenge away from Red Bull

Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle believes Max Verstappen could decide to leave Red Bull in the coming years if the right opportunity appears elsewhere on the Formula 1 grid. Speaking ahead of the British Grand Prix, the former F1 driver explained that Verstappen may eventually look for a new chapter after spending so much of his career at the centre of Red Bull’s project.

According to Brundle, Verstappen’s long-term future may not be entirely fixed, even though the Dutchman has built an extraordinary era of success with Red Bull. The key question is whether a rival top team can offer him a competitive car, stability and a fresh sporting motivation.

“I think if he could go, he will go at some point, whether it’s 2027 or 2028, and do something fresh for him,” Brundle said.

He compared the situation to Lewis Hamilton‘s move to Ferrari, pointing out that even the most successful drivers can reach a stage where a new environment becomes attractive.

“We see drivers do that. We saw Lewis Hamilton do that, for example, and get a reset and a new challenge after a very long time in a team,” he added.

Only Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren look realistic for Max Verstappen

Brundle also underlined the difficulty of Verstappen’s situation. In practical terms, only a small number of teams would make sense for a driver of his level. Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are the obvious destinations, but all three currently appear committed to their existing driver plans.

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

That creates a complicated market scenario. Verstappen would not leave Red Bull simply for a change of scenery; he would need a project capable of fighting for race wins and world titles immediately. At the same time, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren would need to create space in line-ups that already feature major names and long-term plans.

For now, Verstappen remains central to Red Bull’s ambitions, and his decision to back the team’s new power unit project has so far looked like a strong call. But Brundle’s comments suggest the story may not be closed forever. If Red Bull’s competitive position changes, or if one of Formula 1’s other giants opens the door, Verstappen’s future could become one of the biggest driver-market stories of the next few seasons.