F1 Pundit makes BOLD Max Verstappen Williams move prediction for 2026
With the 2026 regulations change soon dawning upon the grid, F1 journalist Marc Priestley reckoned Max Verstappen could even join Williams.
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Max Verstappen and James Vowles, images via IMAGO
The F1 transfer market is quite a volatile place. Lewis Hamilton’s massive signing to Ferrari is one of the prime examples of how unexpected moves soon become a reality. On the other hand, teams have been repping up for the 2026 regulation reset. Amidst this, ex-McLaren mechanic/F1 presenter Marc Priestly made a huge prediction keeping in view of the market, that Max Verstappen could move to Williams for the 2026 season.
Max Verstappen has been a part of the Red Bull family since his junior racing days. Moreover, this commitment was rewarded with the Dutchman winning four driver’s titles with the team. But despite this, the team fell into deep cracks during the 2024 season.
Observing the trends, Red Bull is expected to not perform well next season when the stakes would be even higher. However, Verstappen might not be focused on winning the championship next year.
This could be down to the new regulations coming into force in 2026. The regulations have been deemed to shuffle up the grid and create chaos, which would be visible in the driver market, as Marc Priestly reckoned.
We also know Verstappen has had a lot of talks with Mercedes. You could also look at Williams, who, under the leadership of James Vowles, are building heavily towards 2026 with big expectations. I know for a fact they expect to compete right at the top with the best teams on the grid. Maybe it’s an opportunity for Verstappen.
Marc Priestly said (via Casino Uden Rofus)
On the other hand, Williams seems to be on an upward trend. Team principal James Vowles is understood to have made several crucial changes to bring back the team to its former image. This would be tantalizing for many, but owing to his stature, Verstappen would get an easy entry into the Grove-based outfit.
Max Verstappen aware of luck factor amidst lurking 2026 regulations
While Williams can become a top team with the regulations reset, so can any other team on the grid. An outfit’s positioning in the standings would be heavily reliant on how the team has repped for the new challenges.
Verstappen understands these concerns but confesses that he is not getting ahead of himself. Moreover, with his family welcoming a new member soon, the 27-year-old could also ponder about biding adieu to the sport altogether.
In 2026, of course, there will also be new rules. But at the moment I’m not that busy with that, to be honest.
Max Verstappen said (via Motorsport Week)
Thus, the 2025 season would require each team to work in a sustainable manner that would not cause any harm to their 2026 car plans. So, a team that could dominate the racing spectacle next year, could also face the dearth of the results the following year.
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Geetansh Pasricha
(772 Articles Published)