Max Verstappen has sought to downplay concerns over his future with Red Bull following a frustrating performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where the reigning Formula 1 World Champion finished in sixth place. Despite speculation about his potential departure, Verstappen reaffirmed his commitment to the team, clarifying that his discontent is not with Red Bull itself but with the struggles he is facing with the car.
After a disappointing outing in Bahrain, where Verstappen could not compete with the front-running teams of McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari, the Dutchman expressed his dissatisfaction with the car’s balance issues. Red Bull has identified a disconnect between their wind tunnel data and real-world performance, which has made the car difficult to handle and has left Verstappen unable to challenge for top positions.
Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, described the team’s performance as “very alarming” after the race, and warned that Verstappen’s frustration could potentially lead to him exercising a performance-related escape clause in his contract. Marko’s concerns were shared by other senior members of the team, including Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, and together they held crisis talks to address the underlying issues with the car.
However, Verstappen downplayed speculation regarding his future and reiterated that he was not considering leaving Red Bull. “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.”
The 25-year-old made it clear that while he is not happy with the performance of the car, he remains content with his position within Red Bull. “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,” Verstappen explained.
The tension within the team following the Bahrain race was palpable, with reports suggesting internal conflicts might be impacting both performance and Verstappen’s mindset. Sky’s pit-lane reporter, Ted Kravitz, reported that Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, confronted Marko in the Red Bull garage, and the two were seen discussing the race and the team’s struggles. Verstappen attempted to downplay the situation, acknowledging that all parties were frustrated with the result but stressed that the meeting was a constructive conversation focused on improving the team’s performance.
At present, Verstappen is third in the championship standings, eight points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, who currently leads the standings. McLaren has emerged as the fastest team in the field so far this season, with Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri in strong positions. This is in stark contrast to last year, when Verstappen began the season with a dominant run of performances. This year, however, he is struggling to match the pace of the competition and is finding himself on the back foot in the early rounds of the season.
Looking ahead to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he won convincingly in 2024, Verstappen acknowledged the challenges ahead. “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.”
Verstappen’s candid assessment of the current situation reflects his realistic approach, recognizing that unless the car improves, defending his title this season could prove difficult. However, his focus remains on pushing for improvement and ensuring that Red Bull remains competitive as the season progresses.
