Max Verstappen’s Red Bull Future: Regret, a Dangerous Wing Failure, and a 2027 Exit Clause He Can Now Trigger

Seventh-Place Standing and a Dangerous Rear-Wing Failure at the British GP

Confirmed. Verstappen is currently seventh in the drivers' championship with 73 points after the British Grand Prix on July 5 . The race was a turning point. Verstappen had fought from seventh on the grid into third place and was chasing Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari for second when his rear wing failed to close properly on lap 48 at Stowe corner, sending him into the gravel and out of the race .

This was the second identical rear-wing failure in consecutive race weekends—the same issue had cost him a front-row start in Austria the week before . Verstappen called the failure "super-dangerous" and said he was "fed up" with Red Bull's reliability issues . Red Bull later launched a "comprehensive investigation" into its active aerodynamics system .

A key contractual consequence: the result confirmed that Verstappen will not finish in the top two of the championship before the summer break, which triggers a clause allowing him to explore a move to another team for the 2027 season .

Anthony Davidson: A Verstappen-Antonelli Partnership at Mercedes 'Could Work'

Confirmed. Sky Sports pundit and former F1 driver Anthony Davidson has voiced support for Verstappen joining Mercedes alongside Kimi Antonelli. Davidson said on Sky Sports' The F1 Show that such a partnership could work, citing mutual respect between the two drivers . He noted that Verstappen sees traits of his younger self in the 19-year-old Italian. In this scenario, Davidson suggested George Russell would be the casualty .

However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has publicly cooled talk of a move. On June 28, Wolff stated that Mercedes is "very happy" with its current lineup of Russell and Antonelli and "don't want to change" it . This represents a notable shift from earlier seasons when Wolff actively pursued Verstappen.

Steiner: Verstappen Will Likely Stay but Must Push Red Bull to Improve

Confirmed, with nuance. Steiner has said on multiple occasions that Verstappen will likely stay at Red Bull rather than leave imminently. In July 2025, he argued that a switch would be "very risky" given the unknowns of the 2026 regulations . He predicted Verstappen would "keep faith" with Red Bull for another year before potentially looking to leave at the end of 2026 .

More recently (July 12, 2026), Steiner argued that Verstappen should push Red Bull hard to build a competitive car, noting that there was "no mathematical way" for him to reach the top two by the summer break and that the team must respond . Steiner also dismissed a McLaren switch as not a significant enough upgrade to justify the upheaval .

Looking Ahead: Belgian Grand Prix Weekend (July 17–19)

The Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps is the next race on the calendar. Verstappen enters it seventh in the standings with a contract performance clause now active, Red Bull under intense pressure to solve its rear-wing reliability crisis, and a watchful paddock waiting to see whether he tests the 2027 exit clause he has earned.