Jordan: 'Won't surprise me if Verstappen drives for Mercedes in 2026'

Admittedly, a good number of technical leaders extended their contracts this year. Pierre Waché, Enrico Balbo, Ben Waterhouse and Paul Monaghan all signed new commitments, but it hasn't completely removed the turmoil at Red Bull. These men failed to ensure that Red Bull's RB20 remained the fastest car in the F1 field.

Unrest at Red Bull remains

"The turmoil at Red Bull and the departure of Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley cannot please Max and his father. Moreover, Mercedes are moving in the right direction and are getting stronger. I would therefore be anything but surprised if Max switches to Mercedes in 2026," Jordan told German F1 Insider.

Verstappen has already failed to win four races in a row in Formula 1. The last time that happened was in 2020. The Dutchman expressed his displeasure several times in recent weeks about the performance and also the attitude of personnel within the team. According to the Dutchman, "people needed to wake up". On top of that, the updates in Hungary did not give the hoped-for time gains, leaving Red Bull facing a tough second half of the season.

Does Verstappen have a chance?

Whether Verstappen is actually a candidate for Mercedes in 2026 remains to be seen. For next season, Toto Wolff looks set to opt for young Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will also still be in the W16 then. With good performances from both, it will be difficult to show either of them the door to allow Verstappen's arrival, although Wolff is a big fan of the Dutchman.

For Verstappen, a switch after next season could be interesting. The new engine regulations come into play then, and the Germans have proven in the past (read: from 2014) that they can interpret new power source rules well. Red Bull are building their own engine for the first time, in partnership with Ford.

This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi