Max Verstappen will not be a Formula 1 champion in 2026 either. At least, if Johnny Herbert's analysis is correct. The Brit believes that Red Bull Racing will not be a match for Mercedes-powered F1 cars next season.
After successful seasons with Honda, one and a half seasons ago things started to decline at Red Bull.
The team is not able to get a grip on the RB21, which results in Verstappen and teammate Yuki Tsunoda achieving less and less impressive results.
Herbert sees huge challenge for Red Bull
New opportunities will arise in 2026, when the technical regulations will change drastically. Herbert tells a betting website about the challenges for Red Bull.
"The people that are now there, on the ground, the designers and aerodynamicists and the chassis guys and even with the power unit as well, they've got to prove themselves now."
"A lot of other people that have proven that they were a very important part of Red Bull have gone."
"And now they’ve declined in a very short space of time and it’s how they rediscover the right mindset to be able to change their mentality to move it in a direction that is going to be more beneficial for 2026”, says Herbert.
Herbert has little confidence in Red Bull
The outspoken critic of Verstappen believes that people at Red Bull now need to show that they can build a good chassis, but certainly also stand their ground in the field of engines.
“That is a huge undertaking to be able to, one produce a F1 engine with all the technology that's involved, and two, to make it as good or better than the very experienced Mercedes-Benz, for example,” Herbert analyses.
“But of course Red Bull are not going to be having any of that [advantage of being an engine manufacturer].”
“They’re just going to be this badged Ford engine, but done in-house. And it's going to be interesting to see if they can do that”
Herbert already answers the last question: “Can I see a bounce back next year? No.”
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