Red Bull’s 2024 campaign has been characterised by the departure of several key personnel. Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley are just some of the high-profile engineers to leave the defending Champions. According to Helmut Marko, there is also a real danger that Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull in the future.
Helmut Marko warns: Red Bull must improve to keep Max Verstappen
After dominating the competition only twelve months ago, things have unravelled quickly at Red Bull. The early-season controversy surrounding Christian Horner and the power struggle that followed created huge rifts within the team.
Jos Verstappen is among Horner’s biggest critics, even calling for the 50-year-old to resign. Whilst this crisis has cooled down in recent months, Red Bull’s internal vulnerabilities are beginning to show.
These problems are best exemplified on track, where the Milton Keynes factory is struggling to find performance. McLaren’s resurgence in the Championship, in large part, has been thanks to Red Bull stagnating.
According to Helmut Marko, the team must get back on track to prevent Max Verstappen from considering alternatives:
“Max will drive where he has the greatest chance of success, so the speed of the car has to be right,” he told RTL Sport.
“In my opinion, that’s not the case [at Red Bull, currently]. Most F1 drivers, especially top drivers, have exit clauses that are performance-related.
“Max also has something like that. And that means if we [Red Bull] don’t give him a car he can drive at the front, then [leaving] is definitely something he’ll think about.”
To be clear, it would be a stretch to suggest that Max Verstappen is on the verge of leaving Red Bull. His contract with the team does not expire for several years.
However, there is no denying that the internal environment at Milton Keynes has deteriorated. If they cannot provide Verstappen with machinery capable of winning Championships, the Dutchman will have no shortage of alternatives in 2026 and beyond.
For the short-term, Red Bull’s priority will be to help Verstappen fend off Norris in the drivers’ standings.
Beyond this, the Austrian team must ensure they are well-positioned to start the 2026 regulations on the front-foot.
