- Max Verstappen fits Ferrari’s culture better than Mercedes, says David Coulthard.
- Red Bull’s troubled 2026 season is pushing Verstappen closer to the exit door.
- A vacancy at Maranello may not exist yet, but Formula 1 moves fast.
David Coulthard believes Ferrari is a better fit for Max Verstappen than Mercedes, should the four-time world champion choose to leave Red Bull.
The former Formula 1 driver made the case on the Up To Speed podcast, arguing the point on personality rather than performance.
His reasoning cuts to something rarely discussed in transfer speculation: what kind of environment actually suits Verstappen as a person.
Why Coulthard believes Ferrari suits Max Verstappen better than Mercedes
Mercedes has long been thought of as the favourite destination for Verstappen. Team principal Toto Wolff openly pursued the Dutchman as a potential successor to Lewis Hamilton in 2024.
Coulthard does not share that view. He believes Ferrari’s culture would give Verstappen the freedom that Mercedes cannot.
“I think that Max actually, as a shoo-in, fits better to the Ferrari world than the Mercedes world,” Coulthard said via Motorsport Week.
He acknowledged the existing bond between Verstappen and the Silver Arrows, noting that the Dutchman races a Mercedes in GT3 events. But he argued Ferrari would offer something more useful:
“The freedom to be Max, I think would be a more comfortable fit at Ferrari because you would just turn up, drive quickly, presumably win the races and then head home.”
Motorsport Week also drew a parallel with Michael Schumacher, framing Verstappen as a similarly transformative figure who could arrive at Ferrari during a lean period and drive a revival.
It is a comparison that captures the scale of what such a move could mean for the sport.
Red Bull’s troubled 2026 season and Verstappen’s growing frustration
The backdrop to all of this matters. Verstappen has had a wretched start to the 2026 season. Red Bull acknowledged “significant shortcomings” with the RB22 after the Chinese Grand Prix, where Verstappen failed to score in either the sprint or the main race.
Qualifying analysis from China showed him nearly a second off pole position, with severe rear-end instability forcing constant corrections just to keep the car on the road.
Verstappen has also been one of the loudest critics of Formula 1’s new regulations. He called the 2026 cars “anti-racing” during pre-season testing and compared on-track battles to “playing Mario Kart.”
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast before the season began, he said: “I’m very happy with my career already in Formula 1, I can easily leave it behind.”
Adding to the unease is the departure of race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. Lambiase has worked with Verstappen since 2016, when the Dutchman stepped up to the senior Red Bull team.
He will leave at the end of the 2027 season to join McLaren as chief racing officer. His exit chips away at one of the most important working relationships in the paddock.
There were signs of improvement at the Miami Grand Prix, though. Red Bull brought seven new parts to the RB22, and Verstappen picked up two fifth-place finishes.
He collected 14 points across the weekend, more than he had scored in the three previous race weekends combined.
Where does Verstappen actually want to be?
The list of teams linked to Verstappen keeps growing. Aston Martin entered the conversation when Adrian Newey, the designer behind all four of Verstappen’s title-winning cars, joined the Silverstone outfit.
McLaren also surfaced as a possible destination, with talk of a straight swap involving Oscar Piastri. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown closed that door firmly.
“I couldn’t be happier with our driver line-up,” Brown told Sky F1 in Miami. “Lando and Oscar are not only two great guys on and off the track, but also shine as teammates.”
Naomi Schiff, Coulthard’s co-host on the Up To Speed podcast and a former W Series racer, offered a steadier read of the situation.
She believes Red Bull’s performance, not outside noise, will determine Verstappen’s next move.
“I think the pressure is more so on Red Bull to make sure they do deliver and give him a car that he can win with, so that he stays to the end of his contract,” Schiff said.
Ferrari’s current driver pairing complicates things further. Charles Leclerc is contracted through 2027 following a multi-year extension. Hamilton, who joined from Mercedes last season, reportedly holds an option for a third year.
No seat is available at Maranello in the near term, though Formula 1 has a way of reshaping arrangements quickly.
What Coulthard’s verdict really tells us about Verstappen’s future
Coulthard’s argument is not about lap times or constructors’ standings. It is about character. Verstappen has little interest in the commercial side of modern Formula 1.
He speaks plainly, races outside the sport for fun, and is preparing for his debut at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Coulthard’s picture of a driver who simply shows up, wins, and goes home fits that portrait closely.
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, though performance-related clauses are understood to allow an earlier exit under certain conditions.
For now, he is focused on getting the most from an underperforming car. But if Coulthard’s read of the man is correct, the door he eventually walks through may well be painted red.
