Max Verstappen could be open to taking a sabbatical in 2026 as speculation surrounding his F1 fuಌture grows. 

Verstappen’s future has dominated the media headlines across this weekend’s F1 🅘Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Talk about Verstappen possibly leaving Red Bull at the end of the season stemmed from Helmut Marko’s commeꦏnts after the race in Bahrai👍n.

amid Red Bull’s poor on-track performance.

🍒168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Reports in the Italian press have since claimed that Aston Martin are set to table a mammoth offer for Verstappen worth €26𝓰4m across three ye𓆏ars.

However, there’s been a fresh twist in rumours surroun🔯ding Verstappen’s future.

Ac🌸cording to reputable BBC journalist Andrew Benson, Verstappen could be tempted to take a sabbatical and sit out next year𒅌.

It would allow Verstappen to assess his options𓃲 in 2026 to see which team is performing well i🦋n the new regulations.

2026 will see entirely new👍 engine and chassis rules come into play, meaning the competitive order 🐈is impossible to predict.

Additi🌺onally, his partne🐷r, Kelly Piquet, is currently pregnant, so it would give Verstappen time to spend with his new child. 

, Benson said: “One of the most intriguing stories around Verstappen at the moment is th⭕at he could maybe take a sabbatical next year, just see how the rules go and then pick a team for 2027,” Benson said.

“That’s an idea that was mentioned to me without me even asking by someone quite c💖lose to Max Verstappen, so I wouldn’t rule that out as an idea either. I don’t know whether they’re just playi🥃ng games of course, just to stir the pot a bit. But why not?”

Sabbaticals aren’t unusual, with F1 world champions Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, and Fernando Alonso all taking bre𝓰aks before returning to the sport.

Schumacher left Fe🐬rrari at the end of 2006 but made a shock return with Mercedes in 2010.

Raikkon🌠en also le🧔ft the Italian team prematurely to make way for Alonso for 2010.

The Finn would ultimately be tempted back to the sport with Lotus in ♊20෴12.

Alonso was fed up with McLaren’s un🦂derperformance and stepped away 🎉at the end of 2018.

The break from F1 allowed him 🎐to compete in the 24 Hours༒ of Le Mans and Daytona.

The Spaniard returned with Alpine in 2021.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen’s F1 future

Verstappenꦦ has insisted that while he’s happy at Red Bull, he wants to rac♔e in the fastest car.

This hasn’t been the case since the middle of last year due t♏o McLaren’s resurgence🅺.

Given Red Bull's recent struggles, Verstappen looks unlikely to win a fifth consecutive drivers’ title this year🐻.

He finished a lowly sixth in Bahrain and had to wait until the final lap to get past 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Pierre Gasly.

Howe♑ver, Verstappen’s options for 2026 are limi♔ted.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff seems happy with his current driver line-up despite showing serious interest in Verstappen as 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.

Aston Martin could be an option, even🦹 though Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have contracts for next year.

The Adrian Newey-Honda link makes it an oᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚbvious fit for Verstappen, but the Silverstone-based team’s form in 2025 will be a concern.