Max Verstappen's race engineer's decision to depart Red Bull could be a telling sign that the Dutchman is edging towards the exit door. That is the opinion of former Formula 1 racer Johnny Herbert, who is "sure" that Verstappen will walk away from Red Bull – though he's not convinced the four-time champion is ready to hang up his helmet for good.
Verstappen has publicly acknowledged he is weighing up his F1 future and the release clause in his Red Bull contract – which would permit him to leave later this year should certain performance targets go unmet – is widely documented. Red Bull have endured a torrid start to the new campaign, and it appears increasingly unlikely that Verstappen, who has accumulated just 12 points across the opening three rounds of the season, will find himself second or higher in the standings by the summer break.
Now he faces the added blow of potentially losing his closest remaining ally in the paddock – long-standing engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who is set to join the Red Bull exodus and head to rivals McLaren once his current contract expires.
Given the pair's well-documented close working relationship, Herbert believes the timing of Lambiase's choice to seek a fresh challenge elsewhere suggests he's operating on the assumption that Verstappen is also preparing to move on. He told Mirror Sport: "It's not the Red Bull of old. I can see why there has been the shift and why Lambiase is moving because of all the changes that are happening, allied to all the positivity around McLaren and what they have done over the last couple of years. Even this season, although their performances started a slowly, they are getting themselves together and they're in a much more competitive situation at the moment.
"Max, we know he's not very happy about the situation. Is this move, that is to say Lambiase's, almost confirmation in a way that Max is on his way at the end of the season too? The question is, where to? We know he's very hungry to race in something that gives him that buzz. And there are three manufacturers: One of those is Ferrari, one of those is McLaren and one of those is Mercedes, who he almost joined this season. We all know what Toto [Wolff] thinks of Max and how highly he regards him."
Team principal Laurent Mekies, who stepped in for Christian Horner last July, already faces the task of replacing a raft of key departures in recent months. Several mechanics from Verstappen's garage have either left or handed in their notice, chief car designer Craig Skinner resigned in February, and fresh speculation suggests renowned strategy chief Hannah Schmitz could also be set to walk away.
Yet replacing 71-time Grand Prix victor Verstappen would represent Mekies' most formidable challenge of all – though it's one Herbert believes the Frenchman will inevitably be forced to confront. He said: "There have long been rumours about Max leaving. It hasn't happened yet, but those rumours haven't gone away. For me, for sure, it's going to happen at some point.
"I don't think he'll leave the sport – I'd be very surprised if that happened. Max just needs that freedom to enjoy life enjoy driving. The lovely thing about Max he wants to have that thrill of driving. He's not quite getting it at the moment with the way that Formula 1 has gone. Mekies certainly has got a lot to deal with!"
Herbert spoke to Mirror Sport via Vision4Sport Events, which has announced a new collaboration with the BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team ahead of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix. The partnership will see Vision4Sport offer an exclusive Monaco race weekend experience from the heart of Port Hercule, combining the spectacle of Formula 1 with luxury superyacht hospitality, just metres from the famous circuit.
