Herbert: No surprise Verstappen stays at Red Bull but for 2027...

Verstappen ended over a year of speculation regarding his future amid a Red Bull in turmoil, when late last month he confirmed he would be staying with Red Bull for another year. Ending talk of him joining Merecdes or Aston Martin. For another year.

Prompting F1 winner, former FIA steward turned independent pundit Herbert to comment: “It's probably not a surprise that Max has signed up. There are instances as we see Max wherever he can pull out one of these amazing races. But of course they're few and far between. He's already said he's not going to win another one.

“But I think there is still definitely another one in his back pocket if he goes to the right circuit and everything’s working well. The car does have a working window and on certain tracks like we saw in Suzuka, he does well.

“The car has got the speed. It's just not as consistent as the McLaren and it's not as consistent as it used to be when he was winning World Championships, for example, and the car worked at every single track that they went to," recalled Herbert.

Verstappen confirmed during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend that he will stay at Red Bull for 2026, ending months of speculation linking him to Mercedes or Aston Martin amid the team’s internal upheaval.

But Herbert believes Red Bull’s long-held development edge has weakened in the aftermath of major staff departures: “Because of all the issues that have happened, with Adrian and Christian and Wheatley all leaving, and all the changes that have happened, they’ve impacted on the car they get to the racetrack.

“They haven't got the same strength as they used to have. They always had this brilliant ability to keep on developing and development this year has not really been there. That is where they have started to struggle and where Max is not able to get the best out of the car, and that's why at certain races, they’re dropping down the order and they're struggling.

“Then you've got Liam Lawson in the sister team actually being quicker than they are. I reckon he's just going to be looking at what the other teams do next year and then make up his mind on where to go next,” Herbert explained.

With 2026 plans now settled, speculation has shifted to 2027. Herbert believes both Mercedes and Aston Martin could move aggressively to sign Verstappen if they build a championship-winning car under the new rules: “At the moment, there are potentially two seats: Aston Martin and Mercedes in 2027."

Which would mean either Lance Stroll or Fernando Alonso is ousted. Probably the veteran, as his teammate, could remain there for another decade if he and his Daddy wish it so. At Mercedes, it would mean either George Russell or Kimi Antonelli.

If Mercedes do not convince Verstappen, Aston Martin will be waiting. Or vice versa. Herbert believes Lawrence Stroll should do whatever it takes to bring the reigning champion into the fold, especially with Honda power behind the team from 2026: “I think if you were Lawrence, you would definitely push those boundaries to sign Max.

"With him, you know what you're getting. You know you're going to get someone who you can totally and wholly trust, who's going to give his all at a given weekend and generally give him the car and do the job. If you stick him in a McLaren, for sure, he'd probably be leading the World Champs," added Herbert

Verstappen may be staying loyal to Red Bull - for now - but with Red Bull’s development edge eroded and others rapidly improving, the next chapter of his illustrious Formula 1 career is an intriguing one indeed. Next year around this time, signature time again, the Dutch ace will have a far clearer picture of the F1 pecking order that will emerge by then.