Martin Brundle supports the rumours swirling that Max Verstappen is looking to move to new Formula 1 pastures for the 2027 season and beyond.
However, Brundle believes that Verstappen’s biggest obstacle is a lack of options, not the absence of his desire for a change.
Since Austria, whispers have begun around the paddock that Verstappen’s team had been inquiring about a straight swap into McLaren. Trading places with Oscar Piastri.
Ahead of the British Grand Prix, Verstappen was cagey about the rumours, not denying them outright but instead claiming that any updates or moves would come from his team and not elsewhere.
As the race weekend came to a close, more chatter began regarding Verstappen’s relationship with Red Bull management, as well as rumours of Piastri’s fraying ties with McLaren after the 2025 title fight.
Brundle, speaking to Sky Sports, expressed his belief that the Dutchman may be looking to follow in Lewis Hamilton’s footsteps, changing teams to ‘reset’ and return to winning form.
A long tenure
Verstappen has been with Red Bull since 2015, spending his rookie F1 season with their second team before moving up to their main team the next year. Many saw Red Bull as the team the Dutchman would start and end his career with. However, the team has shifted in recent seasons.
“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 on Sky Sports F1.
“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.”
Following the departure of Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Adrian Newey, and many other notable Red Bull employees, it’s no surprise there are rumours that Verstappen is looking elsewhere.
Equally, the team’s performance in the past few seasons, coming into the new regulations, has left the four-time world champion visibly and audibly frustrated with the team and his car. At the British GP, the Dutchman crashed, prompting a vocal outburst over the radio.
Struggling for choices
However, from Brundle’s perspective, Verstappen has few options. Toto Wolff has urged the media that he’s happy with his line-up, with Ferrari extending their deal with Charles Leclerc and Hamilton confirming he plans to continue in red for 2027.
“He put some faith in the new Red Bull power unit, and it’s proved to be a very good decision,” Brundle added,
“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.”
Hence the rumours of the McLaren deal appearing. Though Zak Brown claimed there was no truth to them, reports after the British GP are alleging that relationships between Oscar Piastri and McLaren have soured, leaving the Australian looking for a way out.
In the F1 paddock, smoke rarely comes without fire. Whether Verstappen pulls the trigger and leaves the team with whom he won four championships, or sees it through to turn around his results, remains to be seen. What has been seen is his frustration.
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