[Saba Sports News] As Red Bull’s dominance wavers, the future of four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen has become the hottest topic in the paddock. Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner recently stated openly that if Verstappen decides to leave Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are his only three realistic destinations.
Nevertheless, the biggest obstacle facing the superstar driver is not where he wants to go, but whether these three top teams are willing to bench their core drivers to make room for him. Boasting an impressive record of 71 Grand Prix victories, Verstappen finds no vacant seats available amid McLaren’s dominance in the 2025 season and Lando Norris’ triumph in the Drivers’ Championship.
Steiner insists Verstappen remains the most competitive driver on the grid, and some teams could reshuffle their line-ups for him, just as Ferrari parted ways with the solid-performing Carlos Sainz to sign Lewis Hamilton. However, McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have both made it clear they are fully satisfied with their current driver pairings, ruling out signing Verstappen next season. Even Ferrari, the only team with theoretical room for adjustment, has shut its door. Charles Leclerc is tied down by a long-term contract, while Lewis Hamilton holds the initiative over contract renewal. This leaves Verstappen with virtually two options for the 2027 season: stay at the struggling Red Bull squad, or retire from racing altogether.
In my opinion, the three top teams have not flatly turned him down. Instead, they hold back from pushing forward with any transfer talks due to existing contracts, driver form and strategic planning. This is a common practice in the F1 transfer market, rather than deliberate exclusion targeting Verstappen.