Verstappen like Alonso? Johnny Herbert: “He could stay stuck at 4 titles. And Hadjar…”

Red Bull’s 2026 season begins While Red Bull flew to Detroit for the presentation of the 2026 livery of the RB22 and the historic commercial and technical partnership with Ford for the creation of the new power unit, in Europe we continue to chat about what awaits us in a Formula 1 World Championship that could definitely overturn the hierarchies that we have come to know in recent years, with the supremacy of Red Bull and then McLaren and only a few sporadic appearances by Ferrari and Mercedes. According to former English driver Johnny Herbert, it is far from a given that super champion Max Verstappen will continue to be a protagonist in the next season, which starts in Melbourne on 8 March. Johnny Herbert puts pressure on Max Verstappen “There is always the possibility that a new car – explains the 61-year-old, interviewed by the website JeffBet – is not perfectly suited to you. Max Verstappen is only a human being and yes, even if he is the best on the starting grid at the moment, this does not necessarily mean that he will be the fastest on the track. It depends on the performance of the car or whether it suits your style or not. As happened to Lewis Hamilton last year, who was not suited to Ferrari and lost speed, there is always the possibility that the new rules favor a certain type of driver. Lando Norris, for example, could benefit from the new car and grow even more as a driver, just like what happened to Max after 2021.” “There is a possibility – he adds – that Verstappen wins his eighth title, breaking the record and in fact he could even win more. But, to do so, he will need the right means. However, 2026 may not be Max’s year and we could have another team dominating, with Max stuck at four titles. An excellent example of someone who should have won more championships is Fernando Alonso, but he has often changed teams and has never been in the right place at the right time. He is one of the best drivers Formula 1 has ever seen, but it has only won two championships. You have to get lucky or make it yourself. Verstappen has decided not to go to Mercedes for 2026 and, if Russell or Antonelli were to win the World Championship, it would be very difficult for Toto Wolff to let them go, even if Max were to be free. It will be interesting to see what happens in view of 2027.” inappropriate towards Max Verstappen given his institutional role, the Dutchman could suffer in an F1 where he will need to manage the hybrid much more than in the past but also the challenge with his young teammate: “I can imagine that the new rules do not benefit a driver like Max and in the end someone will have to arrive who can challenge him. And, when there is someone who challenges you in your own team, the dynamics can change”. “If Hadjar manages to start very strong and give Verstappen a hard time – concludes Johnny Herbert – then there will be a turning point. Max will fight harder to maintain the advantage over his teammate and we have never seen him really under pressure since he had Daniel Ricciardo as a teammate. Hadjar has a difficult opportunity which he can’t wait to seize and he will have to give his best and beat his teammate, but it could be the first time in a long time that Max Verstappen is called upon to fight even in his own team.”