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Jenson Button believes Max Verstappen is becoming increasingly frustrated — and increasingly isolated — at Red Bull, with the 2009 Formula 1 world champion predicting that the Dutchman will actively look beyond the Milton Keynes team for his next move.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Button was asked about Verstappen’s future amid discussion of an exit clause in his contract. Host Simon Lazenby framed the debate around a clause understood to potentially become active at the summer break if Verstappen is not inside the top two of the drivers’ championship.
Button’s view was clear: if Verstappen’s camp is not already exploring the market, it would be failing in its duty. “If his management weren't asking around, they're not doing their job properly,” Button said.
The speculation around Verstappen’s next step has only intensified as Red Bull’s internal landscape changes, with Button pointing to Mercedes and McLaren as teams likely to interest him. For more on the wider uncertainty around his future, see our related coverage on Button urging Verstappen to be ‘selfish’ as Red Bull questions grow.
Button identified Mercedes as the standout option, particularly given its current position at the front of the championship. The Brackley team has won seven of the first nine grands prix of the 2026 season, making it, in Button’s assessment, the most logical target for Verstappen’s management.
“I'm sure there are two teams that he'd be interested in: McLaren, possibly, and obviously the big one at the moment, Mercedes,” Button explained. “All drivers have contracts, but money talks. There's always a way of moving a driver on to somewhere else.”
That comment underlines the ruthless logic of Formula 1’s driver market. Contracts matter, but competitive opportunity can matter more — especially for a driver already deep into a title-winning career and weighing how best to maximise the seasons ahead.
Button also suggested Verstappen’s frustration is not only competitive, but personal and structural. He noted that many of the people Verstappen worked with through his championship-winning years have now left Red Bull, changing the environment around him.
“I think he sounds really frustrated at the moment,” Button said. “He puts a happy face on a lot of the time, but I think he's very frustrated with the situation. A lot of people that he's worked with for many years and won championships with have left and gone elsewhere.”
Button added that such turnover could leave Verstappen feeling alone within the team: “It must feel a bit lonely within that team for him. Everyone's brand new around him. So I think he'll be looking elsewhere. Yeah, I really do for next year.”
Asked where he would place Verstappen if advising him, Button again pointed to Mercedes, either alongside Kimi Antonelli or George Russell, depending on which driver the team might choose to move on. His conclusion was blunt: Verstappen would have to be ruthless — and selfish — in protecting his own future.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.