The former trainer of F1 world champion Max Verstappen has pinpointed the one thing that could prompt him to leave Red Bull.
Verstappen is under contract with the Bulls until the end of the 2028 season but there have still been rumours around his future.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Brad Scanes, previously Verstappen’s physio and fitness coach, weighed in on his future.
The 26-year-old has won the last three titles with Christian Horner’s team, including the most dominant triumph in F1 history last season.
He remains the overwhelming favourite to lift the trophy this year too despite his mechanical retirement at the Australian Grand Prix last time out.
Verstappen won the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in dominant fashion.
However, while the expectation is that Red Bull will remain on top next year too, he knows that there will be major regulation changes in 2026.
Journalist Joe Saward has suggested that he may have a get-out clause in his contract in the event that the Milton Keynes outfit struggle to adapt.
Scanes says Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull if they stop winning
Scanes says it would be ‘very weird’ to see Verstappen racing in different colours given that he’s been with Red Bull since 2014.
The Dutchman has a real affinity with the team but wouldn’t rule out leaving should they become less ‘competitive’.
If, all of a sudden, the future doesn’t look quite so bright, he could seek pastures new.
Scanes said: “Max not in a Red Bull suit would be very weird. He’s grown up in that team, he loves the team, he loves the mentality of the team.
“But you could also never say never. As long as they’re competitive, he’ll still be there.
“That might change because he always wants to win. If he doesn’t see a future of winning, then that might be when things change.”
Red Bull will build their own engines for the 2026 season through their new powertrains division, but they will run with Ford badges under a partnership agreement.
Will Verstappen join Mercedes?
If Verstappen does leave Red Bull, then Mercedes look like the favourite to capture his signature.
Ex-Haas boss Guenther Steiner recently said as much as he assessed the former Toro Rosso driver’s future.
Team principal Toto Wolff, who is currently searching for a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton, appears determined to land him.
Wolff is even ready to make a move for Red Bull’s chief engineer Pierre Wache in the hope of luring Verstappen.
The 56-time race winner apparently ‘appreciates’ the interest from the Silver Arrows.
Mercedes would seem to represent a step-down at the moment given their ongoing struggles to get to grips with the current generation of cars.
They’re already 71 points and three places behind Red Bull in this year’s championship.
However, the last time there was a significant change to F1’s engines in 2014, they stole a march on the field.
The German manufacturer rattled off eight straight constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021, with Verstappen spending the early years of his career a long way back.
He’ll want to ensure he’s in the best possible place to sustain his supremacy at the beginning of the new era.
The post ‘Never say never’: Max Verstappen’s ex-trainer names the one thing that could make him leave Red Bull appeared first on F1 Oversteer.