Max Verstappen became a four-time World Champion with Red Bull during the 2024 Formula 1 season. However, one question lingers. Will the Dutchman continue to race for the Bulls?
What Will Happen Between Max Verstappen and Red Bull?
In Las Vegas, Max Verstappen was crowned world champion for the fourth consecutive year, joining the elite company of Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost.
Not only that but at the age of 27, the Red Bull driver is also in the F1 Hall of Fane with 63 wins, only behind Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. He’s fifth in the records for pole position (40) and fourth for podiums (112).
Yet, Red Bull‘s ups and downs during the season raised a lot of doubts concerning his future in the team. Will he stay with the team or will they drift apart?
Criticism
During an interview with De Telegraaf, Max Verstappen used some harsh words towards his team. This is not something unusual, as the World Champion is known for his brutally honest comments.
But this time, the criticism comes after a season where Red Bull had to face many challenges.
After the 2023 season which saw Red Bull dominate all but one race, the 2024 season saw McLaren and Ferrari raise their stakes, going wheel-to-wheel with the Bulls on any given occasion. McLaren even managed to win the Constructors’ Title.
“If we continue like this , I won’t be champion next year. It’s that simple. We really need to take steps to be competitive next season. We all know that.” – Max Verstappen.
Red Bull won only two of the last fourteen races of the 2024 season. This naturally had an impact on Verstappen’s team. Even his father, Jos Verstappen, declared that a lot depends on the 2025 season and how competitive Red Bull will be. Therefore, there is much focus on the 2025 project.
Red Bull will also have its own power unit for the first time ever, thanks to a partnership with Ford. This is an ambitious project, but also quite risky.
Considering all the changes that will happen in 2026, no one will know how effective the car will be before the start of the season.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 2024 F1 Review: A Season of Shifts and Surprises for Red Bull
Will He Leave or Will He Stay?
According to Juan Pablo Montoya, ex-Formula 1 driver, Verstappen will leave Red Bull in 2026. Montoya, the three-time World Champion believes Verstappen will assess how competitive the team will be in the next season before saying his goodbyes to Milton Keynes.
The reason behind this choice will be Red Bull’s PU project. For Montoya, this may push Verstappen to leave Red Bull for Mercedes, if the team face some serious difficulties in 2025.
“I don’t think it’s a particularly difficult step for him. Sure, it’s hard because he’s always worked hard for Red Bull, and in a way she controls much of what happens. The big question is: ‘Will Max be willing to suffer if ’26 turns out to be bad?
If Red Bull starts to produce its own Power Units and it’s not where it should be, will Max be happy to get 10°? No, I don’t think so.” – Juan Pablo Montoya.
But Jos Verstappen came in his son’s defence, assuring that Max will respect his contract with Red Bull until the end in 2028.
After that, naturally, things are still uncertain. Verstappen Senior doesn’t exclude the possibility for his son to take a break from Formula 1.
“There is certainly more to his life than F1, and Max is aware of it. He listens very carefully to his feelings, knows what he wants. But it’s hard to say what will happen. Maybe, in the future, he’ll take a break for a year and then he’ll want to come back” – Jos Verstappen.
But, for now, it seems that Max Verstappen’s future is tied to how competitive Red Bull will be.
READ NEXT: Stoffel Vandoorne: The Formula E Rising Star After F1 Experience
