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Former Formula 1 owner Bernie Ecclestone has questioned whether Max Verstappen should leave Red Bull, despite describing the four-time world champion as one of the best drivers on the grid. Speaking to Crash.net at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Verstappen finished on the podium amid ongoing struggles for the Milton Keynes team, Ecclestone suggested the 27-year-old faces a genuine strategic dilemma as rumours of a potential McLaren switch intensify.
Verstappen's future remains one of the most scrutinised topics in Formula 1. The Dutchman has been linked with moves away from Red Bull for months, with fresh speculation emerging last weekend about a possible switch to McLaren. Verstappen himself declined to address his future in Austria, leaving the paddock to parse every comment from those around him.
Ecclestone, 95, was unambiguous about Verstappen's value. "If I had a team now, I would sign Max at all costs," he told Crash.net. "It's cheaper than building a new car." The remark underscores what has long been understood in the paddock: Verstappen represents a performance advantage worth multiple tenths per lap, a delta few technical upgrades can match.
A question without an easy answer
Where Ecclestone grew more cautious was on the question of whether Verstappen should actually leave Red Bull. "You have to weigh all these things carefully," he said. "What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages? If he stays, is that bad, and how bad exactly? If he leaves, does it get better? It's just not that simple."
The former supremo then revealed a telling detail. "Last year I would have advised him to switch to Ferrari," Ecclestone admitted. The implication is clear: the window for that move may have shifted, either because Ferrari's trajectory has changed or because the competitive landscape has been redrawn by McLaren's surge and Mercedes' resurgence.
Retirement talk and regulatory frustration
Verstappen has not only been linked with a team change but with early retirement altogether. Asked whether Formula 1 should fear losing its dominant champion, Ecclestone sided with the driver. "He was right with his criticism," Ecclestone said. "I think the rules didn't do what they were supposed to do. And that's what Max was complaining about."
The comment references Verstappen's repeated frustrations with the sport's regulatory direction, particularly around the 2026 power unit rules and what he perceives as artificial attempts to manufacture competition. Ecclestone, who built F1 into a commercial empire over four decades, has long been sceptical of the current governance structure under Liberty Media.
The stakes for Red Bull and beyond
Red Bull's dominance in 2023 has evaporated. The team took just one podium in Austria, and McLaren now leads the constructors' championship. Verstappen's contract runs until 2028, but exit clauses are understood to exist. Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren have all been mooted as potential destinations, though none has publicly confirmed interest.
Ecclestone's refusal to offer a clear recommendation reflects the complexity of Verstappen's position. Staying at Red Bull carries the risk of wasting prime years on an uncompetitive car. Leaving risks abandoning a team that has delivered four titles and could yet recover. What is certain is that Verstappen's next decision will shape not just his career, but the competitive balance of Formula 1 for the second half of the decade.
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