Ex-F1 Driver Convinced Max Verstappen Will Leave Red Bull as Milton Keynes ‘Falls Apart’

Ex-F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari is confident that Max Verstappen wouldn't think twice before leaving Red Bull if things do not improve soon.

Ex-F1 Driver Convinced Max Verstappen Will Leave Red Bull as Milton Keynes ‘Falls Apart’

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

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Max Verstappen‘s future at Red Bull is under immense scrutiny. Milton Keynes’ leadership has fallen apart as they unexpectedly fired Christian Horner from the squad. The team is undergoing a massive performance slump with no hope of recovering from it this season. Amid the team’s torrid time, Verstappen is rumored to be in advanced talks to join Mercedes as soon as the 2026 season. Upon this, ex-F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari reckons that the 27-year-old would leave the team as soon as things get even more ugly.

Multiple key figures have already exited Red Bull, leading up to Christian Horner‘s sudden firing from the team mid-way through the 2025 season. While Max Verstappen‘s rumors of joining Mercedes continue to persist, he might now consider staying a little longer at Milton Keynes now that Horner’s out of the picture. However, Jaime Alguersuari believes that this wasn’t the only condition that could cause the Dutchman to exit from the Austrian outfit.

Alguersuari claimed that turmoil within Red Bull and its leaders began well before the team’s collapse. The alleged power struggle between Dr. Helmut Marko and Christian Horner following the death of owner Dietrich Mateschitz intensified the situation. Additionally, instability around the second driver and the frequent changes to Max Verstappen’s teammates all further contributed to the team’s downfall.

What I can say is that there was a lot going on inside in the last few years with so many different decisions from Dr. Helmut Marko, Christian, different Red Bull drivers going back and forth.

Jaime Alguersuari said on the Chequered Flag podcast 

Jaime Alguersuari recalled the reasons behind Adrian Newey’s sudden departure from Red Bull as well. The Spaniard pointed out that Newey’s exit wasn’t without any reason, as something big had pushed him to take the leap. Now, Milton Keynes seems to fall apart even more, with seemingly no immediate fix to the problems. As such, Max Verstappen would be leaving the Austrian squad soon if the team continues to fall apart even more than it already has.

Adrian Newey left for a reason. There must be a reason for his exit. And now it looks like the whole team is falling apart. That’s how I see it from the outside, really. And I’m completely sure Max will leave as well.

Jaime Alguersuari added

Jaime Alguersuari predicts Red Bull ‘can’t win forever’

Red Bull enjoyed a period of utter dominance for a majority of the ground-effect era. The team won 21 out of 22 races in the 2023 season and enabled Max Verstappen to win three coveted titles under the latest regulations. However, come the final season of these regulations, the team has been at a massive deficit against the rivals, as their challenger development has trumped the once-dominant outfit in Red Bull.

Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase (via Red Bull Content Pool)
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase (via Red Bull Content Pool)

Jaime Alguersuari reckoned that Red Bull has done great in Formula 1, considering that they were merely an energy drink manufacturer before. While the team performed much better than anyone ever expected, they couldn’t manage to win forever. Alguersuari asserted that the sport is undergoing a change in era now as one can only question when would be the next time we witness Milton Keynes resurrecting their dominant form.

They have done great in Formula One. Better than expected, I think. You know, they’ve won a lot, considering their time in the sport. Nothing lasts forever. You can’t win forever, you don’t lose forever. It’s a change of an era now. Who knows what’s going to come for Red Bull? I’m not sure.

Jaime Alguersuari noted

The 2025 season has been extremely troublesome for Red Bull in multiple facets. Although the squad is giving it their all, results speak for themselves as they do not have good enough results to boast about, even with Max Verstappen’s continued efforts. Now, Laurent Mekies has taken the reins after Christian Horner as the team banks great hopes on the Frenchman to lead the outfit in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Read More: “Not a Football Team,” Ex-F1 Team Boss Warns Red Bull over Turnaround After Christian Horner Exit