Johnny Herbert proposes radical Max Verstappen F1 exit option

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Johnny Herbert believes Max Verstappen could look to take a sabbatical from F1 in 2026, as the debate around his future continues to rage. Verstappen's current deal with Red Bull expires at the end of the 2028 season, but given the current lack of overall competitiveness from the RB21 and doubts about Red Bull's in-house engine project for '26, Verstappen has been heavily-linked with an exit.  Mercedes and Aston Martin have been touted as his most likely destinations, but three-time grand prix winner Herbert believes a sabbatical for 2026 could be a possibility. Such action would allow Verstappen to see which team had aced the all-new 2026 rules before committing to a project, although Herbert does also concede that Verstappen would be better off joining a new team, if he leaves Red Bull from 2026. "Would Max Verstappen lose his racing edge if he was to take a one-year sabbatical? No, I don't think he would," Herbert told CoinCasino. " Max would always be ready for it, even after a year off. He has three choices: stay where he is at Red Bull, choose to join Aston Martin or Mercedes, or take a one-year sabbatical. "With the one-year sabbatical, Verstappen can wait and see what car has been delivered in 2026 and join a team from there. "But, I think he'd want to be at a team from the start of the new regulations, to take charge and mould the car towards his driving style. "If the Mercedes is really good and Kimi Antonelli and George Russell are consistently finishing first and second, Verstappen will have lost his chance of joining the team.  "Mercedes spoke with the Verstappens even before Max joined F1, and it has a better car for next year. It has lost its edge, but it has improved a lot this year.  "Mercedes is better than Aston Martin, but one team has Adrian Newey ahead of the 2026 regulation changes. The Mercedes I've heard on the grapevine is in a very good position for next season, competitive-wise.  "Then he'll be hoping that the Aston Martin can perform. If either team dominate next season, they won't want to fix what's not broken? But right now, the move to Aston Martin makes the most sense." Johnny Herbert proposes radical Max Verstappen decision in case of Red Bull exit?