Former Formula 1 driver Robert Doornbos thinks that anything is possible for Max Verstappen, including a switch to Aston Martin. What is now going on behind the scenes at Red Bull Racing is annoying for the entire team, so Doornbos thinks it is logical that the options are kept open. Moreover, a lot can change from 2026.
Lately the rumor mill has only been filled with speculation about what will happen at Red Bull. Jos Verstappen was spotted talking to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff in the paddock in Bahrain, and labels such as Verstappen’s departure were immediately attached. In recent weeks, the Dutchman has also suddenly been associated with a switch to Aston Martin. Is there even a one percent chance that the three-time world champion will make such a switch? “Sure,” answers Doornbos in the Ziggo Sport Race Café. ‘You know, Raymond Vermeulen has to keep his options open. Max and Jos, that team, they just look at everything that is going on in the market,” he continues.
“And if there is destabilization at Red Bull, they are clearly not happy about it,” Doornbos thinks. Verstappen already indicated after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that he hoped that calm would return soon, purely because that is better for everyone in the team. The 26-year-old also indicated that he found it admirable that the operational part of the team is still as close to home as possible. ‘Those procedures that are still ongoing there are just annoying. On the other hand, the team is performing at top level. Are you going to look elsewhere? Because you go to the fastest car,” the former Red Bull driver points out. ‘Wolff also said: Max has no business with me, because I cannot offer him the fastest car.’
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‘But we still know what happened in 2024’
What also plays a role is the fact that the technical regulations will be changed from 2026 onwards. This can bring the playing field a little closer together, or another team may be dominant, as we have seen with the start of the hybrid era. “We all remember what happened in 2014, when the hybrid engines were introduced,” Doornbos continues. ‘Then Mercedes got a huge lead.’ However, Mercedes’ lead is now hard to find.
According to the former driver, this is mainly because the Silver Arrows do not have their aerodynamics in order. ‘Did you see how much Hamilton lost behind Norris in those fast corners? That was almost a second in four or five corners.’ In addition, Doornbos suspects that Lewis Hamilton’s motivation is no longer what it used to be. ‘It’s hopeless. He has seen everything, thought about everything. He is beyond words about this project. He also no longer radiates power.’
