According to recent reports, Max Verstappen is eager to depart from Red Bull soon. He is finding it hard to secure wins, especially with his team’s competitors performing better in 2024.

PlanetF1 reports that the three-time world champion supposedly desires to depart from the Austrian team quickly and may consider taking a year off. Then, in 2026, when FIA introduces new power unit rules, he could evaluate his options and make a decision.

Speculation about Verstappen leaving Red Bull began in February after a female employee accused team principal Christian Horner of ‘inappropriate behavior’. As the team looked into the matter, there were suggestions that this turmoil could lead Verstappen to leave the team.

The rumor mill suggested that the three-time world champion might switch to Mercedes, replacing Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari in 2025. Toto Wolff, head of Silver Arrows, openly tried to convince the Dutchman to make the move.

However, the German team ended up choosing their junior driver Kimi Antonelli for the 2025 F1 season. Despite other top teams having their driver lineups set, rumors have resurfaced about Verstappen leaving. This time, it was said to be due to Red Bull’s recent poor performance, with Verstappen not winning in the last six Grand Prix races of 2024.

McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari have all made significant progress in catching up to the reigning world champion. At the moment, the Dutch driver has a contract with Red Bull until 2028. Verstappen is currently leading the championship in 2024 with 303 points.

Lando Norris from McLaren is in second place with 241 points, followed by Charles Leclerc from Ferrari in third place with 217 points. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff recently discussed their new driver lineup with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, while also maintaining connections with Max Verstappen for the future.

Wolff told BBC Sport that it is too soon to choose a driver lineup for 2026. He mentioned that they are concentrating on the current driver lineup, which was updated when Antonelli joined them in 2025.

• “It’s too soon for that. I don’t want to talk about 2026 or beyond yet, because we’re hoping to keep the same drivers for 2025,” Wolff explained. “We haven’t set any specific deadlines. We just want to keep talking and working together. His focus is on Red Bull, while ours is on our current drivers.”

Verstappen could still have the opportunity to join Mercedes in the future. His future plans have not been decided yet.