Adrian Newey ally hints shock Max Verstappen exit to Red Bull rivals

Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull Racing

Newey ally hints SHOCK Verstappen exit to Red Bull rivals

Max Verstappen has a contract at Red Bull until 2028

Parth Jhaveri

Monday 12 August 2024 09:12 Updated: 11:56

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Adrian Newey’s manager has predicted a shock Max Verstappen exit from Red Bull in 2026.

Following the off the track turmoil for Red Bull, that saw Christian Horner being accused of transgressive behaviour by a Red Bull female employee, which he denied, the Milton Keynes-based team has had a turbulent time.

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Horner was cleared of any charges after an independent investigation. Since then, Red Bull have seen two major exits with chief technical officer Newey announcing his departure from early 2025 and he has since been linked with a move to Ferrari.

Most recently, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley announced his exit from Red Bull at the end of 2024 season. The 57-year-old is set to take over as team principal of the Audi team in 2026 after a period of gardening leave.

Max Verstappen has been heavily linked with a seat at Mercedes

Adrian Newey has been part of the Red Bull F1 team since 2006

Max Verstappen to drive for Mercedes in 2026?

The chaos at Red Bull has also affected their on-track performances as they have been unable to develop the car as rapidly as rivals including McLaren and Mercedes. As a result, the 2024 championship has become tighter and there are at least four teams consistently fighting for race wins.

The whole situation at Red Bull has also raised questions over Verstappen’s future with speculation of a switch to Mercedes. If Red Bull’s slump continues, the Dutch driver could look at other options.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is on the lookout for a replacement to Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari in 2025. Wolff has admitted that Mercedes would love to have Verstappen, heightening the speculation over a potential move to the Brackley-based outfit.

Newey’s manager, former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan, has insisted that he wouldn’t be surprised if the three-time world champion decides to switch from Red Bull to Mercedes.

He told F1-insider: “The unrest at Red Bull, the departures of Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley can't please Max and his father.

"In addition, Mercedes has got the curve and is getting stronger and stronger. I would therefore be anything but surprised if Max moved to Mercedes in 2026.”