'Red Bull is falling apart' - Ralf Schumacher predicts Max Verstappen exit

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has predicted Max Verstappen will opt to depart Red Bull as the team is “falling apart”.

Verstappen has long been linked with an exit from the Milton Keynes-based squad despite having a contract in place until the end of 2028.

Rumours of a potential departure gained traction last year amid a power struggle between the Austrian and Thai owners.

Later in the year, it was confirmed chief technical officer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley would depart the team to take on new roles at Aston Martin and Stake respectively.

Following a challenging start to the new campaign for Red Bull which has seen it forced to make a driver swap between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda after two rounds, Schumacher is far from impressed by the situation at the team.

“Red Bull is falling apart,” Schumacher said, as quoted by Bild. 

“Verstappen is keeping the business going with his performances. 

“They've lost many top players, and things are simmering internally. The fact that Verstappen is still staying so cool is insane.”

Schumacher has predicted the difficulties ongoing at Red Bull will lead to Verstappen's exit in the near future.

“Verstappen will leave Red Bull,” he stated. “Aston Martin would tailor everything to him. 

“He would probably get the same status as at Red Bull. I don't see that happening at Mercedes, because Toto Wolff wants to promote [Kimi] Antonelli."