Last week, it was announced that Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer no later than 2028, fuelling speculation that a Verstappen exit could also soon be on the cards.

In December, Verstappen lost another pillar of his F1 life in Helmut Marko, the former Red Bull advisor responsible for bringing him, Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel through to F1.

Before that, Jonathan Wheatley, Adrian Newey and Christian Horner were other huge figures to have left the Milton Keynes team, who currently find themselves in P6 in the 2026 standings.

The loss of trusted allies, a difficult RB22, and constant discontent with the 2026 F1 regulations, have led to the suggestion that Verstappen could either leave Red Bull, or the sport entirely, at the end of the season.

GPblog has already received signals that his future with the Austrian outfit is becoming increasingly clear. Continuing at Red Bull appears to be an option that clearly ranks below several other possibilities, this website understands.

However, former Red Bull man Coulthard has backed the relationship between Verstappen and the energy drink manufacturer to "endure" regardless of where the Dutchman ends up in 2027.

Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Coulthard said: “I think the relationship between Max and Red Bull will endure, whether it’s him racing for them in Formula 1 in the future.

“But I think the bond that’s there between Austria and Max Verstappen and his family is something that will... I don’t expect to see him suddenly turn up as a Monster athlete."

Coulthard, however, concedes that Verstappen should not wait forever for Red Bull to return to winning ways, despite their long-term relationship.

“But clearly, as I said earlier, nothing lasts forever in this game and Max is a competitive animal.

"And if Red Bull are struggling longer term... I mean longer term this year, to show signs that they’re getting back towards winning ways in the future, then of course he’s going to look at where his career is best served."

For former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, however, a move to Mercedes, where team principal Toto Wolff has long admired Verstappen, would be a "perfect opportunity" for the Dutchman should he stay in the sport.

Speaking to AS Colombia, the former Williams driver said: "Team boss Toto Wolff has always said very clearly that he wants Max in his team. This could well be the perfect opportunity for Verstappen.

"Red Bull is on the slower side. If they stay that way all year, Max will definitely be looking for a way out, for a way to leave as soon as possible."