Max Verstappen right to explore F1 options beyond Red Bull, says Naomi Schiff

Naomi Schiff says Max Verstappen is justified in exploring options beyond Red Bull

Max Verstappen is completely justified in evaluating his Formula 1 options outside of Red Bull, according to Sky Sports F1 pundit Naomi Schiff.

Speculation regarding Verstappen's long-term future at the Milton Keynes outfit remains a major talking point. The 28-year-old has repeatedly been linked to moves to Mercedes or McLaren, but he has remained tight-lipped on his future.

The rumours partly stem from an exit clause in his contract that is understood to give Verstappen the option to leave the team if he is outside the top two in the drivers' standings by the summer break, which is in two races' time.

While the four-time champion opted to remain with Red Bull for 2026 under the new regulations, Schiff suggested his wandering eye is a natural reaction to the team's current performance plateau.

"Why wouldn't he be looking around?" Schiff said during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast in Belgium. "There was a real sense that he was looking around last season, but he made the right decision to stick with Red Bull and see what these regulations provide in terms of who's quick and who's not.

"Red Bull have the best engine on paper but don't have a competitive package, or at least not one that is consistently quick.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

"I can understand why Max wants to look around. He's always said he won't spend another 10 years in Formula 1 - he wants to go on and do other things, so he wants to make the most of the time that he's here."

But any potential exit strategy for the Dutchman is complicated by the current driver market constraints. With seats at rival frontrunning teams largely occupied, Verstappen's alternatives are severely limited.

"Unfortunately, there are not a lot of open doors in this paddock," Schiff added.

After the first nine rounds of the season, the 28-year-old sits seventh in the drivers' standings with 76 points, 103 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.