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Peter Windsor has gone further than most analysts in his assessment of Max Verstappen's future. The veteran journalist and commentator believes Verstappen may not see out the 2026 season in Formula 1, let alone his contract with Red Bull, which runs to the end of 2028.
Verstappen Did Not See This Coming
Windsor made his argument on the Cameron CC podcast. His central point is that Verstappen underestimated how dramatically the new regulations would change the type of driving that wins races. "He will not have thought it would be this drastic. This is completely different to what he always excelled at. Max made the difference for years through unique lines and braking points, but that simply does not come out anymore. He has been fantastic, but he can no longer use his qualities the way he used to." Windsor then made the most pointed statement in his assessment. "In this way, he has essentially been reduced to an ordinary driver."
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The Numbers Are Already Telling a Story
Windsor pointed to qualifying results as evidence that the competitive landscape around Verstappen has shifted. Rookie Isack Hadjar has already beaten him in qualifying on multiple occasions this season, something that would have been almost unthinkable under the previous regulations. "I honestly saw that coming. Hadjar is incredibly fast and I expected him to beat Max a few times. Then as a team you also start asking yourself: why are you still holding on to Max when a young talent can possibly show the same results?" He went further, suggesting that even Yuki Tsunoda might be able to produce comparable results in the current environment.
Red Bull Is Staying Calm for Now
Despite the noise around Verstappen's future, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has maintained that internally there are no conversations about him leaving. That may be true at a formal level, but the frustration Verstappen has expressed publicly about both the RB22 and the direction of the sport suggests the background mood is considerably less settled than the official line implies. Windsor's prediction may be premature. But the fact that people with genuine knowledge of the sport are starting to say it out loud is itself a signal worth noting.
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I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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