During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen asserted that Red Bull needs to ensure peace for him to stay with the team. However, with the recent confirmation of Adrian Newey’s exit, the F1 world champion’s father, Jos Verstappen, claims that the opposite is happening at Milton-Keynes, which can trigger his son’s exit.
“The team is in danger of falling apart. I was afraid of that earlier this year,” said Verstappen senior as per De Telegraaf [translated by DeepL]. “For internal peace, it is important that key people stay on board. That is not the case now. Newey is leaving, and earlier this year, it also looked like Helmut would be sent away. For the future, that is not good.”
Ever since Christian Horner’s sexual misconduct allegations flared, Max‘s exit rumors also popped up. It all started when it was reported that Horner was eyeing a coup against Helmut Marko, with whom he allegedly has differences.
When asked by the media about this, Max responded that if Marko leaves, he will also leave Red Bull’s door, thus showcasing an apparent power struggle within the team. He further emphasized that his loyalty is with Marko.
The rifts disappeared briefly as reportedly the majority owners of Red Bull GmBH, the Yoovidhya family, met with Horner, Marko, and Max in Dubai. But with Newey’s exit, things might get worse for the reigning world champions.
Max Verstappen could be the next branch to fall
Jos, for long, has been vocal against Horner ever since his allegations came to the surface. He reportedly said that Red Bull would implode if the Red Bull team principal stayed longer.
Thus, his above comment is an extension of his earlier remark. However, De Telegraaf’s report also states that the insiders at Red Bull have revealed that Newey hasn’t played a pivotal role in RB20’s production.
It is also speculated that Newey’s exit is the result of his dissatisfaction with his current role on the team. Nevertheless, Newey was believed to be one of the most influential people. But it remains to be seen whether that could bring about a tectonic change.
If it’s mighty enough to make Max leave, then certainly it could be trouble for Red Bull. However, for 2025, Red Bull is believed to be the favorite to win the championship. A good enough replacement for Max can maintain the status quo, giving the world champions the time to make impactful replacements before the new regulations step in.
