Rumours suggest that Max Verstappen could be in the ‘wrong car’ next season, according to Timo Glock. As 2026 approaches, speculation grows about possible team changes. Could the reigning F1 champion face unexpected challenges and a surprising shift in his racing career?
Max Verstappen’s future is currently uncertain at Red Bull after the team has now written off his chances in the championship after the Austrian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman’s race last three corners before he was hit by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who misjudged his braking into Turn 3 and hit Verstappen, taking them both out on the spot.
Antonelli admitted he was at fault and was handed a grid penalty for the next race at Silverstone, but it left Verstappen with a 52-point deficit to championship leader Oscar Piastri.
With rumours in the Austrian GP paddock that Verstappen could be joining Mercedes, former F1 driver Timo Glock believes he might be making a mistake after his recent comments about Red Bull’s 2026 car.
Photo by Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Timo Glock thinks Max Verstappen is making a mistake staying at Red Bull
Verstappen was asked about Red Bull’s 2026 prospects in the drivers’ press conference, where he claimed that he liked what he had heard about the Milton Keynes squad’s preparations.
Bernie Ecclestone thinks Verstappen should stay at Red Bull, given the amount of success he’s had at the team over the years.
The 2026 F1 ruleset is a massive shakeup, and Red Bull has taken a gamble on producing their own engines in-house, but Glock thinks Verstappen’s comments say something different about his interests.
“Max Verstappen wants to have a car with which he can drive around the World Championship. He will look at everything around him. He knows exactly where Red Bull stands and when it comes to engine development,” said Glock.
“He will hear exactly what we also hear: that Mercedes is already incredibly far away with the new powertrain for 2026. That’s the big point. If you have such a big lead, he knows he’s in the wrong car.”
What Max Verstappen told father Jos Verstappen after nightmare qualifying in Austrian GP
Verstappen’s nightmare weekend started in Austrian GP qualifying when he was forced to abort his lap due to a yellow flag for Pierre Gasly at the end of Q3.
He started from P7 on the grid, with him telling Jos Verstappen that it simply was not good enough over the phone, as his father was taking part in a rally.
Red Bull struggled to unlock any performance over the weekend, as evidenced by Yuki Tsunoda who finished in last place.
F1 fans disagree with Christian Horner that Tsunoda is the problem, pointing towards Red Bull’s incredibly difficult car as the main reason why they have not had much success with the second seat in recent years.
