Max Verstappen has dismissed rumors suggesting he may leave Red Bull, despite a frustrating performance in the last Formula 1 race in Bahrain. The world champion finished sixth, unable to keep up with the front-runners from McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. His struggle was partly due to the car’s persistent balance issues, which have made it difficult for him to extract the maximum performance. Red Bull has acknowledged the problem, noting a mismatch between the data from their wind tunnel and the car’s real-world performance.
In the aftermath of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Red Bull’s motorsport adviser, Helmut Marko, voiced concerns over the team’s performance, calling it “very alarming” and expressing that the worry is growing. Verstappen, who holds a performance-related escape clause in his contract, has been at the center of discussions regarding his future. Some have speculated that the Dutch driver might leave the team if the issues aren’t resolved. However, Verstappen himself played down these speculations, focusing instead on the immediate challenge of improving the car.
“Honestly, a lot of people are talking about it except me,” Verstappen said. “I just want to focus on my car and work with the people in my team. That is all I am thinking about in F1 at the moment. I am happy [at Red Bull], I’m just not very happy with our car. But that goes for everyone, we all want to be better, there’s no secret about that. That’s what we’re trying to improve.”
There have been some tensions within the team over the past year, with reports suggesting internal conflicts that might be affecting performance. After the Bahrain race, Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, was seen having a heated discussion with Marko in the garage. Verstappen, however, attempted to defuse the situation, explaining that the conversation was simply about addressing the issues that led to their disappointing result. “To my knowledge, they were having a conversation about everything, which is allowed,” Verstappen said. “We were all left frustrated with things that went wrong in the race. That’s what my manager, Raymond, and Helmut spoke about, and Christian came along as well so they had a conversation. We all care about the team. We care about the team, the people, and results.”
Verstappen’s current position in the championship sees him trailing McLaren’s Lando Norris, who leads the standings, and Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, who occupies second. In contrast to last season, when Verstappen dominated from the outset, this year he faces a more competitive field. McLaren has emerged as the team to beat, with their car currently the quickest on the grid.
Looking ahead, Verstappen acknowledged that if the car’s performance doesn’t improve, defending his title could be a tough challenge. “I just go race by race. The rest is out of my hands anyway,” he said. “Of course, if we are not the quickest, it’s very tough to fight for a championship. I’m hopeful we can still improve things, but let’s see what we get.”
In the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen dominated by securing a 13-second victory over his then-teammate, Sergio Pérez. His early-season form helped him secure his fourth championship despite a strong charge from Norris. However, with the 2025 season not starting in the same dominant fashion, Verstappen’s focus will be on the upcoming races to see if Red Bull can turn things around. The team remains committed to resolving the car’s issues, but the pressure is mounting for both the driver and the team to regain their competitive edge.
