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Currently working as a pundit for the German Branch of Sky Sports, the 49-year-old has claimed Verstappen could leave the squad if their performances do not improve in the upcoming races.
Max Verstappen is a four-time defending champion. (AP Photo)
Former German motorsports driver and broadcaster Ralf Schumacher has made a bold prediction on Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull. Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher’s brother, Ralf competed on the grid from 1997 to 2007. Currently working as a pundit for the German Branch of Sky Sports, the 49-year-old has claimed Verstappen could leave the Milton Keynes-based squad if their performances do not improve.
“I think Max will leave the team. Especially if nothing happens in the next two, three or four races, because then the decision will be made,” Ralf told Formel1.de YouTube channel, as per Motorsport.com.
Red Bull has fallen short of expectations this season after a trophy-laden few years in the ground-effect era. They sit fourth in the Constructors’ standings with 36 points after three races, including the Sprint in China. The Milton Keynes squad are lagging significantly behind leaders McLaren who hold 78 points between their drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
A poor start to the 2025 season has also sparked speculation around Verstappen’s future. Many fans and experts believe that the four-time World Champion could be on his way out of the team next year. McLaren boss Zak Brown recently weighed in on the idea that Verstappen may pursue his ambitions elsewhere. “I think he’ll leave at the end of this year,” he told The Telegraph. “Most likely to Merc [Mercedes]. If I was betting, I’d bet on Merc. In the last 10 years, they’ve won the championship seven or eight times,” he added.
While several reports have linked Verstappen with a transfer, Red Bull’s senior advisor Helmut Marko opined the Dutch-Belgian racer had no reason to leave his current team. “Right now, he’s clearly the best — if not among the very best — and of course we want to keep him. But for that, the car has to be up to standard. And the way things look now, there’s no reason — not contractually either — for him to leave at the end of the year,” he told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview.
Amid Red Bull’s struggles, Verstappen also recently opened up on how his team’s RB21 machine has been difficult to master. It even led to Liam Lawson being dropped from the main line-up after just two race weekends, a move which didn’t sit well with the four-time World Champion. With Yuki Tsunoda joining the senior team from the Japanse Grand Prix in Suzuka, it remains to be seen if Red Bull can recover their season to win the Constructors’ Championship this year.
