Max Verstappen could make unthinkable F1 decision with 'more and more' Red Bull staff expecting it to happen

Max Verstappen's long-term future at Red Bull is now in fresh doubt, a new report has claimed.

Verstappen has spent his entire career under the Red Bull umbrella, firstly debuting with Toro Rosso in 2015.

After a promising first season, he was parachuted into the second Red Bull seat in the early stages of 2016 after Daniil Kvyat was dropped.

Now, following four world titles, Verstappen is closing in on his 10th anniversary at the team, with the Dutchman currently the longest-serving driver at a single constructor on the grid.

His current contract, signed after he won his first title in 2021, lasts until the end of the 2028 season, and is believed to make him the highest-paid Formula 1 driver ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

But there have been growing doubts over the past 12 months that he may decide to leave F1 before that contract expires - with those doubts increasing further after he crashed into George Russell in the closing laps of the Spanish Grand Prix.

In May, he entered a GT3 sports car test at the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit under a pseudonym, also breaking the lap record.

Earlier in the year, Verstappen admitted that he also had plans to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours race alongside Fernando Alonso - but couldn't do so at present because the race clashes with Formula 1.

He told the Daily Mirror: "It's in the back of our minds [to race].

"I'm quite a heavy competitor, so I would have to find light team-mates to compensate. Fernando is quite light, so that would be very good for us, but we would need to find another one.

"I have a lot of friends also who race, so it will be a hard one [to choose]."

Red Bull's engine partner, Ford, and Aston Martin are both entering Le Mans in 2027.

Now, Bild report that 'more and more' people inside Red Bull believe that Verstappen will be available for that year's race - because he will have already ended his Formula 1 career.

The outlet notes Verstappen's 'dilemma' over his potential lack of alternative options within F1 if he does decide to leave Red Bull.

McLaren have Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris under contract until 2028 and 2027 respectively, while Charles Leclerc also has four seasons left on his deal at Ferrari.

He was linked with a move to Mercedes ahead of 2025 to replace the outgoing Hamilton, with Silver Arrows team principal Toto Wolff admitting that he held talks with the Dutchman's entourage.

But the deal never happened and Mercedes signed Kimi Antonelli instead on a one-year contract that it is believed to contain performance-based criteria to trigger a long-term extension.

They are also in talks with George Russell to extend his deal, which also expires at the end of 2025.

Speaking to media at the Miami Grand Prix last month, Wolff hinted that he would be making no changes to his driver line-up unless absolutely necessary.

"George is part of the Mercedes family and always has been," the Austrian explained. "As I see things today, why break a team that is on a trajectory I see as positive?"