Farewell to Red Bull?

Verstappen: “Many things are going on in my head”

Max Verstappen(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has spoken about his future ahead of the Miami GP, leaving room for speculation. "There are always a lot of things going on in my head," said the Dutchman.

Max's father Jos Verstappen recently spoke to the Telegraaf, where he spoke at length about Newey's departure. "The team is in danger of falling apart. I warned about that at the beginning of the year," warned the 52-year-old. When asked about this, Verstappen junior told "Viaplay": "There are always a lot of things going on in my head. I don't always have to share that with everyone. That's just the way I live."

Normally it is.

Max Verstappen auf die Frage, ob er einen Wechsel nach dieser Saison ausschließen könne.

However, Verstappen also made it clear: "If there are things I'm not happy about, I will always talk to the team about them. But at the moment, I see that a lot of important people are connected to the team and remain connected so far. So that's the most important thing."

"Normally it is"
After the departure of design guru Adrian Newey, the 26-year-old's trust in Red Bull is "still there", as he said on Sky, but when asked whether he could rule out a move after this season, the three-time champion only replied briefly and succinctly: "Normally yes". Two words that don't exactly sound like a declaration of love.

Newey's departure "a great pity"
The 65-year-old Newey will leave the team in the first few months of next year at the latest. He has been with Red Bull since 2006 and has played a key role in the success of Sebastian Vettel's four world championship titles from 2010 to 2013 inclusive, as well as Verstappen's triumphs and continued dominance. "It's obviously a shame that Adrian is leaving now," said Verstappen, but also added: "I still have faith in the team and the people we still have. There are a lot of good people together who have built an incredible car in recent years." The loss of Newey's knowledge and experience is nevertheless "a great pity".

A juicy affair involving team boss Christian Horner and internal power struggles following the death of company founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022 are said to have prompted Newey to leave the team and Red Bull.

A special clause could allow Verstappen to leave well before the end of his contract in 2028. There has been speculation for months about contacts with Mercedes. The Miami Grand Prix takes place on Sunday at 10 pm.