Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert believes Max Verstappen would significantly strengthen Mercedes. This assessment comes as Red Bull Racing navigates a challenging 2026 season, prompting renewed speculation regarding Verstappen’s future in the sport.
Red Bull Racing currently sits fourth in the Constructors’ standings with 177 points, trailing Mercedes, who lead with 379 points, and Ferrari, holding 307 points. Verstappen himself is positioned sixth in the Drivers’ standings, over 100 points behind Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen’s current contract with Red Bull extends until the end of 2028, but it includes performance-based exit clauses. Following the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, the clause for the 2026 season has activated, allowing Verstappen to consider his options if he is not within the top two in the standings by the summer break.
Reports indicate that Red Bull has offered Verstappen a new contract extension through the end of the 2029 season, which would include a salary increase and the removal of any exit clauses. However, Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, has reportedly dismissed these claims.
The current situation follows a period of significant turmoil at Red Bull Racing in 2025. Christian Horner, who had served as Team Principal for 20 years, was sacked in July 2025 and officially departed in September of that year. Laurent Mekies subsequently took over as CEO of Red Bull Racing.
The 2025 season saw Red Bull narrowly miss out on the Drivers’ Championship, which was ultimately won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, ending Verstappen’s four-year reign. Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Waché, attributed the team’s sluggish start to the 2026 campaign partly to the intense 2025 title fight, which impacted development time for the new regulations.
The 2026 Formula 1 season introduced a comprehensive overhaul of technical regulations, featuring smaller, lighter cars with active aerodynamics and new power units. These regulations mandate a 50-50 split between the internal combustion engine and battery power, significantly increasing the emphasis on electrical energy.
The new rules have proven controversial, with cars experiencing notable power drop-offs on main straights due to aggressive energy harvesting. Verstappen has been a vocal critic of the 2026 cars, describing them as ‘Formula E on steroids’ and questioning his long-term future in the sport.
Herbert suggests that Verstappen has been astute in observing the competitive landscape of the 2026 season. He stated, ‘He has been clever because he has given himself this season to see who is going to be the dominant force. And Mercedes obviously is the one.’
Mercedes confirmed their 2026 driver lineup of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli in November 2025. Herbert previously indicated that Mercedes’ development for the 2026 regulations was rumored to be progressing well.
‘Max will be very aware of what’s going on within Red Bull’s development programme for next year, with the new engine, the new power unit they’re making themselves, and all the different elements to that, and then obviously to the car at the same time,’ Herbert told ESportsBets.com in July 2025. ‘Rumours are that it’s not been going very well. But the rumours have been that Mercedes are going very well.’
Herbert also drew a parallel to Niki Lauda’s successful efforts in convincing Lewis Hamilton to join Mercedes from McLaren, suggesting a similar approach would have been taken with Verstappen. He believes Verstappen is currently hindered by his equipment, noting that Red Bull appears to be the slowest among the top four teams.
