Verstappen backed to quit Red Bull at the end of this year

F1 fans believe Max Verstappen will opt to quit Red Bull at the end of this season.

RacingNews365 readers have indicated as such in one of our latest polls, with Verstappen's exit following the end of the current campaign scoring an overwhelming majority verdict.

The four-time F1 champion was heavily courted last season by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff before opting to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton with rising teenage star Kimi Antonelli.

Aston Martin is also in the mix, and is one team which could afford to poach Verstappen away from Red Bull. It also has the lure of Adrian Newey on its technical design staff after the renowned figure started with the team on March 1.

Although second in the drivers' standings after the first two grands prix in Australia and China, they were not easy weekends for Verstappen in a car he has labelled "slow" given its lack of race pace.

So when will Verstappen leave Red Bull? Well, 47 per cent of respondents said it would be at the end of this year.

That was followed by 19 per cent opting for the end of 2026, indicating that Verstappen would at least see how Red Bull fared when the new regulations are introduced at the start of next season.

Sixteen per cent feel he will remain at Red Bull for the remainder of his contract that runs to the end of 2028 before moving on, and then 15 per cent indicating he will retire from F1 at that point.

Further down the pecking order, just two per cent said it would be at the end of 2027, whilst only one per cent felt he would sign a new deal with Red Bull and continue into 2029 and beyond before leaving.