Max Verstappen warned against shock early Red Bull exit

Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has warned Max Verstappen against leaving Red Bull at the end of this season due to the huge unknown surrounding the new power unit regulations. 

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 F1 campaign. However, it is understood he is unhappy with the team's decision to swap Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.

Rumours of a shock exit for the four-time F1 champion have swirled for months, yet he insisted during the Chinese Grand Prix that - at present - he is happy with the team. 

Should Verstappen want to leave Red Bull, Steiner believes he should wait until the end of next year, to see who has the strongest package under the new regulations.

"I think he wants to see [how Red Bull performs] in '26 because if he takes a decision in '25, nobody knows what's coming," Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast. 

"In '26, who is good, who is not good? So he could get it completely wrong. I think he waits for '26 to see who is who, and if the Red Bull isn't good, [he] tries to get something for '27. 

"I don't know if that is possible with all the contracts and what the deals are which are going on, but I think that's what he's working up.

"If he achieves it or not, I don't know, his team, they are good negotiators. They know how to make a deal. The team around him are there."

What are Verstappen's options?

Mercedes and Aston Martin have long been rumoured to be the two most viable future options for Verstappen. 

Although very few teams on the grid would be able to afford the Dutchman's remarkable salary, Steiner at least feels the Silver Arrows represents his best option.

"I don't think McLaren is an option for him," added Steiner. "I think the option is Mercedes. [In] My opinion, the option is Mercedes, because Ferrari is not an option. 

"So who else should they [try]? Aston Martin could be but, again, [Adrian] Newey is [helping build] the '26 car, they could get it right. Honda, I don't know. 

"Nobody really knows what [the options are], but Aston Martin could be an option, right? And Mercedes. I don't think Ferrari or McLaren are options."