Inside the growing belief that Max Verstappen could walk away from Red Bull if 2026 goes wrong

F1 insider James Allen has claimed that Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull if the team is not competitive at the top of the field in 2026. He also believed that no team would be off the driver's radar and that he might garner interest from the likes of McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin.

Verstappen was rumored to be in talks with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff during the summer for a potential move to the Silver Arrows in 2026. However, the Dutchman later committed his short-term future to Red Bull to help them through the transition into the new regulations era.

F1 journalist and commentator James Allen analyzed Verstappen's future if Red Bull fails to provide him with a good enough car in 2026. Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Allen claimed that Verstappen will control the driver market in 2026, as he could walk away from Red Bull if the RB22 is not competitive enough.

"If you step back from it, the guy who drives the market from here is Verstappen. Because what’s going to happen next year is he’s going to get out of the box. He’s going to go testing," Allen said, via F1 Oversteer. "He’s going to go racing at the beginning of the season, and he’s going to look at all of those cars, and he’s going to make a decision in the first five or six months of next year where he wants to go next," he added.

James Allen added that Verstappen can even make a call to McLaren boss Zak Brown if the Papaya team has the best package in 2026. He also claimed that Mercedes remains a possible destination for the 4x world champion, with Toto Wolff being a big fan of the Dutch driver.

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Aston Martin can be another possibility for Max Verstappen post 2026, claims Allen

Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen at the 2022 United States Grand Prix - Source: Getty

James Allen also claimed that Aston Martin was another possible destination for Max Verstappen after 2026. The British outfit could become an exciting prospect next year, especially with Honda as their engine partners and Adrian Newey designing the car.

Speaking on the aforementioned podcast, Allen explained why Verstappen could potentially be interested in a move to the Silverstone-based team.

"He’s demonstrated this year that he is by head and shoulders the best driver in Formula 1," said Allen. "If he’s on the market next year, any of those top teams is going to want to have him, and the other one would be Aston Martin, of course, as well with Honda and Newey," he added.

Both Honda and Adrian Newey were crucial pieces behind Max Verstappen winning four world titles at Red Bull. The possibility of working with them again at Aston Martin could well draw the 28-year-old's attention towards the project, especially if they show promise in 2026.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam