Max Verstappen Addresses Red Bull Future After Key Director Exits

Saajan Jogia | Aug 13, 2024

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (NED) races during FP1 practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Max Verstappen has pledged his loyalty to Red Bull while discussing his outlook for the future. He addressed concerns that the 2026 car might be slower in some sections but prefers to wait and assess the situation once the new era of regulations begins in two years.

Verstappen's last two years in Formula 1 could be termed the best considering his racing prowess, combined with the fastest car on the F1 grid that earned him complete dominance in the sport. It is also courtesy of Red Bull's chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, who is the mastermind behind designing championship-winning cars for the team in the present ground effect era.

Starting next year, changes may be on the horizon for Red Bull. With Newey's departure and the increasing competition at the front, the dynamics are shifting. Currently, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari are tightly competing for the lead on every race weekend. So far, Red Bull has secured 7 wins out of 14 races this season, a notable decrease compared to last year's dominance with 21 wins out of 22 races.

In 2026, the grid will reset owing to the inception of a new era of regulations where F1 cars will be powered by an equal ratio of electric power and internal combustion. Just as Red Bull's dominance in the current era could not be predicted before 2022, similarly, Verstappen chooses to opt for a middle ground when asked about the prospects for 2026 and beyond. Speaking to Formula.hu, as quoted by PlanetF1.com, the three-time world champion said:

“I would have to say that in some places the cars might be a little bit slower in terms of lap times, but I would also have to say that when new rules come in it’s always difficult to predict whether the impact will be positive or negative.

“Personally, I prefer to take a middle position and say let’s wait and see what happens. I was the same way with the current rules, watching: is this going to be good, is this going to be bad?

“Fortunately for me, it worked out very well as the team became competitive, but with the new rules you really never know…”

Despite the big shuffle, with Aston Martin adopting Honda engines from 2026, Mercedes potentially making gains akin to its 2014 success, and Red Bull designing its own engines for the first time in collaboration with Ford, Verstappen reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Red Bull. He added:

“I think the most important thing is not to make decisions based on emotion, because that will always get you back.

“Of course it means a lot and I appreciate the fact that I have a very long history with the team. Loyalty is very important and I think it is not always there in F1.

“Fortunately in my case, it is there and I think it is mutual for us. Key people stay with the team and now we have our own engine project.

“How is it going? I’m very confident, but we have to be realistic. We have to fight against people who have been making engines for over a hundred years. They have a lot of experience, but of course we have also signed a lot of people.”

He commented further:

“I’m the same as with the new rules, I prefer to take a middle ground. I don’t want to be too positive or too negative. I stay in the middle. You have to be patient.

“A lot of things have to stay together or come together and I also have to think about the future, what will happen after 2026. So I am patient.”