Max Verstappen urged to push for Red Bull rival move

A four-time world champion languishing in seventh place, 103 points adrift of the championship leader after just nine races. It is not the season Max Verstappen or Red Bull envisioned.

A RacingNews365 poll asked fans whether Verstappen should stay with Red Bull for 2027, and the results paint a telling picture. Just 30.4% of voters believe the Dutchman should remain where he is, while the largest share, 34.3%, think he should push for a move to Mercedes. 

A further 13.5% would like to see him at McLaren, and a notable 21.8% reckon he should leave Formula 1 entirely and focus on endurance racing.

The sentiment is hardly surprising. Verstappen's 2026 campaign has been plagued by inconsistency, with three retirements, only two podiums, and no victories. 

His frustration has been impossible to miss, particularly at Silverstone, where he retired after going off at Stowe.

Team radio at the British Grand Prix laid bare the depths of Verstappen's dissatisfaction. "Too much understeer on the high speed," he told the pit wall, before adding: "I cannot make the car so unbalanced." His anger escalated further as he raged: "I'm stuck, mate, f**k this car, unbelievable."

These are not isolated complaints. Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, where he finished second behind George Russell, Verstappen described Red Bull as "just too slow" and stated there are "clear areas where we need to improve." 

Despite that season-best result, he has maintained that the team have "too many issues" to fight for the 2026 title.

Verstappen options closing

Reports indicate that Verstappen's Red Bull contract, which runs until the end of 2028, contains a performance-related exit clause tied to his championship position at the summer break. 

With Verstappen unable to reach the top two in the standings by then, that clause has effectively been triggered.

Yet the reality of his options is more complex than the poll results might suggest. Mercedes, the fans' preferred destination, appears to have closed its doors. T

oto Wolff has publicly ruled out signing Verstappen for 2027, declaring: "We don't want to change things. We've said it also to George, and I think it's a line-up that is good for us. I'm very happy with the two of them."

With Kimi Antonelli leading the championship on 179 points and Russell second on 154, it is easy to see why Wolff is unmoved. 

McLaren's Zak Brown has similarly stated he is content with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Ferrari's seats are occupied by Lewis Hamilton and the newly re-signed Charles Leclerc.

The fans have spoken, but right now, the paddock is not listening.

Check out the full poll results below!