The Max-toto starts again
As has been the case every season since 2024, that time of year has arrived when Max Verstappen’s future is discussed. The four-time Dutch world champion has a contract that binds him to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, but he is the first to often question his own future not only in the team but in F1 in general, particularly after the introduction of the new technical regulations which saw him being extremely critical from the start.
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Mercedes, McLaren (even more so after the announcement of the future signing of Gianpiero Lambiase), Ferrari or leaving the Circus to focus on endurance racing: all these seem like possible options for the continuation of Verstappen’s career. Of course, the Dutch superstar is very close to the Red Bull group, which also guarantees him a freedom and centrality that would be difficult for Max to find elsewhere. In Red Bull, however, they are starting to seriously contemplate the possibility of losing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Ownership pushes for the ‘internal solution’
But who could replace Verstappen at Milton Keynes? There are two scenarios: either a high-impact market move that brings a ‘big name’ from another team to wear the Red Bull suit, or the path of the ‘internal solution’. According to an article published by the New Zealand Herald, team principal Laurent Mekies is reportedly under strong pressure from shareholders to choose this second path. Red Bull’s history is in fact almost entirely built on home-grown talent – just think of the trajectories of Vettel, Ricciardo and Verstappen himself, to mention only the best known – and having two teams available on the grid, going to fish for talent grown elsewhere would be seen as a disavowal of company policy.
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Lawson favorite
Keeping this parameter in mind, the favorite to replace Verstappen would paradoxically be the New Zealander Liam Lawson, that is, the driver who was demoted to Racing Bulls after having competed in just two races in the 2025 season with Red Bull precisely because he was deemed not up to the task of partnering the then reigning world champion. Lawson’s would actually be an almost forced choice, considering the recent rejection of Tsunoda – demoted to reserve driver after a disastrous 2025 season – and the very young age of Arvid Lindblad who could be left to grow in Racing Bulls for another season.
Obviously, much will also depend on how the current season develops: for now, Lawson has shown good consistency in results and is only two points behind Verstappen in the standings. It is clear, however, that if the New Zealander’s performance were to drop significantly during the year or if Lindblad were to achieve extraordinary results, this hierarchy could be overturned.
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