These are Verstappen's options if he wants to leave red Bull

With most likely four world titles to his name, Verstappen will certainly not be shy of attention at the end of 2024. Toto Wolff put it nicely: 'Every team will do handstands to get Max Verstappen in their team.' Yet, it will not be feasible for every team to bring in Verstappen.

With Verstappen's ambitions and CV, only a few teams are left. Backmarkers and midfield teams like Williams, Haas, Stake, VCARB, and Alpine can be dismissed straight away. McLaren is a big name in F1, but with a customer engine and two drivers under contract for 2025, it is not the ideal place. That leaves four options.

Mercedes

The first and most logical option is Mercedes. A major car brand in Formula 1 and a team that has shown in the recent past that they can win world titles. Toto Wolff is still the team boss. James Allison is back as technical director. In addition, big star Lewis Hamilton is leaving, so there is room for Verstappen.

Mercedes is the ideal team for Verstappen in many aspects. The team's management is stable, there is enough budget behind the F1 team, the facilities are of the highest level, and, as an engine manufacturer in the sport, Mercedes are a true factory team. Verstappen, like Hamilton did, can become the figurehead of this brand and earn good money.

Verstappen also thinks the personal connection is important. Although people will suspect otherwise following 2021, Wolff and the Verstappens have kept a good relationship. In 2014, the Verstappens also talked to Wolff about a pathway to F1. Red Bull was favoured because Helmut Marko offered a seat at Toro Rosso, but Wolff never allowed that contact to be dismissed.

Still, there are a few drawbacks to the deal with Mercedes. First, in terms of performance, it is a big step backwards. At the start of 2024, Mercedes, at times, looked like the fourth fastest team on the grid and still hasn't found the answers to the technical regulations introduced in 2022. In 2025, Mercedes will not suddenly be competing for the world title. With this move, Verstappen would be fully betting on 2026 when the new engine regulations take effect.

In addition, Verstappen is not entering a team where he will be the designated number one from day one. Recent years have proven that Mercedes have high expectations for George Russell. The Brit will want to fight for that spot himself and will make it anything but easy for Max. Verstappen will not shy away from a fight, but this will be a more difficult challenge within his own team than Sergio Perez is now.

Then, there are the high expectations surrounding Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes have their hopes pinned on this young Italian, as the short contract for Lewis Hamilton showed. That means there should be room in the team for Antonelli within two or three years. He is perhaps an even bigger threat to Verstappen than Russell.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin is also an interesting option for Verstappen. Led by Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin has built the facilities and knowledge to compete with the top teams. The car is not yet at the level of the Red Bull, but Aston Martin is visibly making great strides.

In addition, Aston Martin will team up with Honda in 2026, becoming a factory team. Verstappen knows this team well and continues to have great success with it. Honda may have started working on the new engine for 2026 a bit later, but Verstappen knows that the Japanese team do not lack knowledge and expertise either.

Verstappen will also be brought in as the big man at Aston Martin. Lawrence Stroll does not shy away from bringing in big names for his team, who then belittle his son on the track. Verstappen will have little to fear from his teammate at Aston Martin.

Therein lies also the problem. After all, no matter how good Verstappen is, a team needs two drivers to develop a car that can fight for the world championship. The fact that there is, and will continue to be, one driver within that team who is simply not good enough for the top is a worrying issue.

Of course, that also remains a weakness of the leadership at Aston Martin. Lawrence Stroll is the father of Lance Stroll. Otmar Szafnauer, as a former team boss, expressed his dissatisfaction with the degree of influence Stroll exerts on the team. Is that really the ideal environment to ultimately create the best team in the world?

Ferrari

With all that is going on now, it is perhaps a shame that Ferrari did not wait a while to bring in Lewis Hamilton. If there is one team where Verstappen would make the difference, it is Ferrari. However, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc under contract, bringing Verstappen to Maranello anytime soon seems unreal.

Sabbatical

The last option is one that fans would rather not see happen and also seems unlikely, but Verstappen could, of course, decide to quit Formula 1 (temporarily). Verstappen has never made a secret of the fact that he has reached his goal in F1 and does not care about further statistics. He wants to stay in the sport for as long as he likes it. Performing is part of that, but so are the people he works with. If Verstappen cannot find a place where he feels completely at home, it cannot be ruled out that he will quit (temporarily).