Max Verstappen's long-term plans remain unclear, with Ferrari now emerging as a potential destination once his Red Bull tenure is over. At Zandvoort, his father Jos surprised many by admitting on Viaplay that Mercedes might not have been the only team in recent discussions.

"It's not like we've talked about it particularly much this year," Verstappen senior, who co-manages his son, said. "However, a little more than in previous years. "We're talking about Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull."

Ferrari's name on that shortlist raised eyebrows. Charles Leclerc is tied down with a lengthy contract, while Lewis Hamilton - still adapting after his Mercedes switch - is also signed on despite his early-season difficulties.

At the same time, insiders fear the 27-year-old could simply walk away from F1 altogether. Verstappen has repeatedly complained about the travelling show element of the sport and, while now committed to Red Bull under the new rules in 2026, he has been open that 2027 is a blank canvas.

Just recently, the four-time world champion admitted he would consider dovetailing his F1 commitments with GT3 endurance events if Red Bull is no longer competitive after the regulation change.

Reports suggest Verstappen is already in the process of securing the licences needed for top-level sports car racing, including potential entries at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, where he tested earlier this year with his own team.

"Max is the best," F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told De Telegraaf. "He's incredible. He's shown himself to be very loyal to Red Bull, but it's also logical that at some point he'll start looking around.

"It's clear he's interested in competing in other series," the Italian added. "That's fine. If he's happy, I'm happy. I don't want to lose him here, but I certainly hope not. Formula 1 is still Formula 1. As far as I'm concerned, he'll be here for another ten years - and even happily."

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