Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has sounded the alarm bells over Max Verstappen’s future with the team after a lacklustre performance in Bahrain, where the Dutchman could only muster a sixth-place finish.
Despite Verstappen having a long-term contract with Red Bull until 2028, there are performance clauses and paddock rumours suggest they could come into effect as early as this summer.
The atmosphere within Red Bull appears strained, especially after Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen was seen having a heated exchange with team advisor Marko post-race. And now the latter has expressed his worries on German TV, admitting “the concern is great” over the possibility of Verstappen becoming disenchanted and potentially seeking a move to a rival team.
Horner is acutely aware that the team’s issues need urgent attention, despite Verstappen’s unexpected victory at Suzuka earlier in the month. He acknowledged the challenges, stating: “I think this race has exposed some pitfalls that are obviously very clear that we need to get on top of very quickly. I think ultimately you can mask it a little through setup and we were able to achieve that last weekend in Suzuka.
“I think we understand where the issues are, it’s introducing the solutions that obviously take a little more time. It was a bad weekend for the team, nothing went our way from the start of the race, we didn’t get off the line cleanly and pit stops didn’t work well for us today.
“But it’s a 24-race championship, we’re eight points behind in the drivers championship and we know we need to make progress very quickly. So it was important today to score the most points and he fought for every point that he could in a difficult car today, so it’s how they add up at the end of the year that’s important.”
Reigning champion Verstappen has expressed doubts about defending his title though, telling Dutch media: “taking part” in the championship rather than looking like a contender for a fifth successive crown.
Lando Norris, who is currently leading the driver standings, expressed dissatisfaction with his third-place finish despite advancing from sixth place on the grid. His team-mate Oscar Piastri dominated the Grand Prix, winning from pole position and closing the gap on Norris to a mere three points.
Norris expressed his frustration: “When I know what I can do and what I’m capable of, and I’m not even close to reaching that, I’m very disappointed in myself. I wish I knew the answer. I don’t have an answer, honestly.
“When you’re a driver you just know when things click, when you feel confident, when you feel comfortable. I’m confident that I have everything I need and I’ve got what it takes. I have no doubt about that – that I’m good enough.
“But something’s just not clicking with me and the car. I’m not able to do any of the laps like I was doing last season. The car is just mega and that’s helping me get out of a lot of problems at the minute. But I’m just nowhere near the capability that I have, which hurts.”
