The 2026 season represents one of the greatest challenges in Red Bull’s Formula 1 history. Not only because of the sweeping regulatory changes set to revolutionise both cars and power units, but also because the Milton Keynes team will, for the first time, appear as a full engine manufacturer, taking on an enormous technical responsibility at a decisive moment.
Within this scenario, the figure of Max Verstappen inevitably takes centre stage. The Dutch driver, a four-time world champion, has chosen to remain committed to the Red Bull project precisely as the team embarks on such a delicate technical transition. However, that decision cannot be separated from the results that will arrive on track from the very first races of the season.
Herbert: “He will look elsewhere”
According to RacingNews365.com, former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert analysed the situation by explaining how everything, for Max Verstappen, revolves around the competitiveness of the car from the opening rounds. Being close to the front is not enough; what is required is a car capable of fighting consistently for victories. “It all depends on the car you start the season with — whether it’s the fastest, one of the fastest, or very, very close,” Herbert said.
Johnny Herbert also underlined how Verstappen’s mindset reflects that of the very greatest champions: “He’s not there to finish second. His mentality is to win, and when he doesn’t win, he gets very frustrated.” If the technical package does not allow him to do that, looking elsewhere becomes an almost natural consequence.
“The only way to achieve that is to give him a car he can challenge with. But challenging is one thing — you have to beat people,” Johnny Herbert continued. “If they don’t do that, then he will look elsewhere, because that’s what racing drivers do.”
The key point, therefore, is not just the overall quality of the Red Bull Powertrains project, which showed encouraging signs during the Barcelona tests, but the team’s real ability to line up at the start of the championship with one of the outright fastest cars on the grid. A car capable of beating rivals like Mercedes, Ferrari and other manufacturers who already boast long-standing experience in power unit development.
Speaking again to RacingNews365.com, Johnny Herbert explained that for a driver like Verstappen the reasoning is extremely simple: which car will allow me to win the next world championship? If the answer is not Red Bull, then the future could take unexpected directions.
In this sense, 2026 will not only be a major technical test for the Milton Keynes squad, but also a defining moment for the relationship between Red Bull and its champion. A very strong bond, but one that is inevitably tied to competitiveness.
Red Bull’s transition to an in-house 2026 power unit serves as a critical ultimatum for Max Verstappen’s loyalty, as the champion is expected to look elsewhere if the team fails to deliver a race-winning car immediately. The success of the Milton Keynes engine project will be the deciding factor in whether F1’s top driver stays or seeks a more competitive seat.
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