Should Max Verstappen follow Adrian Newey in leaving Red Bull?

Max Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull Racing till the end of 2028. However, contracts in Formula 1 often have exit provisions. For instance, Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari next season despite previously signing a two-year-deal with Mercedes. As such, the question arises, should Max Verstappen follow Adrian Newey in leaving Red Bull?

Max Verstappen’s camp might have had enough of Red Bull’s tensions

Max Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen had previously blamed Christian Horner for creating a rift within the team. After Newey’s exit announcement, the 52-year-old claimed that he had feared this could have happened. As such, it is clear that the Verstappen camp is far from happy regarding the present situation at Milton Keynes.

In the past, Max Verstappen has stated that he would leave Red Bull if Helmut Marko was shown the door . So far, Marko’s future seems to be secure at the Austrian team. However, Adrian Newey’s departure might start a domino effect as Christian Horner tries to exert more control within Milton Keynes.

It must be noted that there has been no official comment by Red Bull or Horner regarding any escalating tensions in the past couple of weeks.

Will Red Bull remain competitive after Adrian Newey’s exit?

The biggest question remains Red Bull’s competitiveness for the new regulations in 2026. Adrian Newey will have no contribution for the Austrian team’s 2026 challenger. This is undoubtedly a major blow to Milton Keynes as Newey had designed all of its cars since joining the squad mid-way through 2005.

However, in recent years, Adrian Newey had taken a step back from day-to-day operations at Milton Keynes. Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache became a more prominent figure in the car’s development. Max Verstappen is believed to have a strong bond with Wache which could help Red Bull retain the Dutch driver.

Red Bull will be racing with its own power units in 2026. This remains a major question mark as the team has had no previous experience. Moreover, Newey’s exit further creates an uncertainty regarding its competitiveness. Max Verstappen has received interest from Mercedes’ Toto Wolff for a potential partnership in the future.

It must be noted that Red Bull remains the best option for Max Verstappen. Mercedes has failed to perform since the ground-effect regulations in 2022. On the other hand, Milton Keynes has built a strong foundation in recent years. Despite Newey’s departure, Christian Horner’s squad seems well prepared for the new regulations in 2026. As such, despite the uncertainty over the power units or technical leadership, it might be the right call for Verstappen to continue with Red Bull for the foreseeable future.