Formula 1 legend and Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle has dropped a bombshell: Red Bull faces a serious fight to keep superstar Max Verstappen on the grid beyond this season—unless their 2026 car delivers the goods.

The four-time world champion has never been shy about his frustration with the sport's new direction, once branding the regulations "Formula E on steroids." And while Verstappen is locked into a contract with Red Bull through 2028, he's already hinted he could walk away at the end of the current campaign if the team's performance doesn't match his expectations.

"They have a job on their hands, because Max has made it very clear he wanted to see how the car goes," Brundle told Sky Sports F1. "The power unit has been impressive, but the car itself has been struggling. Red Bull will have some big changes this weekend, and Max will want to see through mid-season that they're on top of these regulations and the car."

But where could Verstappen go if he decides to leave? Brundle doesn't see an easy path. "I'm not sure it's that easy for Max to just jump ship at the moment. Mercedes has two homegrown talents in Russell and Antonelli. McLaren is set with a tremendous lineup that gels very well. Ferrari has Leclerc and Hamilton. If somebody springs out of one of those cars, then there's a slot for Max. But teams won't want to boot out great drivers with a great lineup. If you're leaving Red Bull, it's going to be for performance only—and it would have to be one of those three teams."

All eyes now turn to the Miami Grand Prix (May 1-3) at Hard Rock Stadium, where Red Bull will debut major upgrades. For fans and fashion alike, this is the drama that makes F1 so compelling—and a reminder that even champions need the right gear to stay in the race.