Red Bull warned ‘window of opportunity’ open for Max Verstappen exit

Former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski has warned Red Bull that a "window of opportunity" has opened for Max Verstappen to leave the team.

The Dutchman is contracted until the end of 2028, but clauses in his deal would allow him to depart should Red Bull’s car fail to be competitive.

It has been a period of major change at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, with Christian Horner having been dismissed as team principal after the British Grand Prix and replaced by Laurent Mekies.

Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko also announced his departure, marking the exit of a key ally of Verstappen.

Marko’s exit is particularly significant, with Verstappen having previously threatened to leave Red Bull if the Austrian were to be ousted during a power struggle following the death of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

Next season represents the start of a new era for the team, which will also become an F1 engine supplier for the first time in its history. That alone is a major risk, as it could affect Red Bull’s initial competitiveness.

For Verstappen, the door is open to a departure should he choose to pursue one – something Budkowski believes will happen if he is not provided with a competitive car.

Asked on the RacingNews365 podcast whether Verstappen will see Marko’s exit as an opportunity to move on himself or to lead Red Bull, Budkowski said: "I think it creates a window of opportunity, because he has potential reasons to leave.

"But let’s face it, it will boil down to the competitiveness of the car and the team, and obviously the engine, as part of the car.

"If Red Bull produces a dominant car next year and it looks set for another era of dominance, then Max will think twice about leaving. I think his relationship with Laurent [Mekies] is good.

"I don’t think he’s happy to see Helmut go, but I’m sure he’s been briefed on that. I have no idea what his views are. Conveniently, it’s been done after the last race of the season, so there are no TV pens and no press conferences to find out."

2026 driver market chaos

There is so much unknown surrounding the first season of the new power unit regulations, with the pecking order unlikely to become truly clear until several rounds into the campaign.

With so many drivers out of contract at the end of next year, many in the paddock will be keeping a close eye on who has the best car, in a bid to secure a competitive package for 2027.

Budkowski is expecting a wild season in the driver market, particularly given the difficulty of overcoming an underperforming power unit.

"The reality is that next year is going to be a big, big year in the driver market," Budkowski added. "A lot of people will be looking at which cars are successful, who’s doing well or not, and especially at the engines.

"Because, as you all know, it’s easy to copy a car during the season, or for the following season, and at least recover some of the aerodynamic deficit. It’s much more difficult to do that with engines.

"It takes a lot more time, and the regulations offer a lot less freedom. So I think it’s going to be very, very interesting to watch.

"I think there is a window of opportunity for Max to leave. I believe there’s a good chance he will leave, but that won’t be the case if Red Bull produces a dominant car."