Red Bull has not started the 2025 season as title favorites, and the first two rounds of the championship have all but justified their lesser status. The RB21 is a tricky package to tame and lacks the performance edge to take on McLaren, who have been sublime so far. And Verstappen’s title defense seems to be in jeopardy.
Amidst all this, many reports have surfaced suggesting the Dutch driver will leave the team at the end of this season. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has fanned the flame of these rumors by stating that he will jump ship to Mercedes.
Well, the Mercedes links have become a regular talking point around Verstappen’s F1 future. Last year, Toto Wolff stated his interest in signing Verstappen, and his desire was showcased in the latest season of Drive to Survive as well.
Even Red Bull team advisor, Helmut Marko, conceded that keeping the Dutchman tied to Red Bull amid their struggles would be “difficult”. But Verstappen has once again clarified that he is not thinking about a switch.
“I’m not thinking about anything else, to be honest. I feel good in life, in general, inside the car and outside the car and that’s what matters,” Verstappen said.
Question: How long are you prepared to give the team if this car is tricky much longer. Will you stay and help them through it?
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The four-time world champion is at the peak of his prowess as a racer. And Red Bull’s declining form could become an impediment to Verstappen’s championship aspirations — something the rivals will look to exploit, if not already.
In fact, the rumor mills have suggested that Aston Martin is preparing an audacious $1 billion coup for the Dutchman. And despite the team officially denying any such plans, the rumors have not died down.
Naturally, Verstappen will always be spoilt for choice. And Red Bull would want to improve the car to retain the reigning champion. They also have a sudden need to make the car more drivable for its second driver.
Red Bull’s driver crisis in 2025
The sword of Verstappen’s departure hangs ominously over Red Bull. The Milton Keynes-based team is also facing a driver crisis in their second seat after the disastrous note with which Liam Lawson started his Red Bull career.
The Kiwi youngster has not been able to score a single point in the opening two Grands Prix and one sprint race. Moreover, in all three qualifying sessions, Lawson has failed to progress out of Q1 — finishing plum last during the sprint shootout and the Grand Prix qualifying at the Chinese GP, last weekend.
With such dismal performances, the team has seemingly lost faith in the New Zealander. Yuki Tsunoda is being touted as a possible replacement for Lawson. And it may come as early as the Japanese GP.
Some experts like Gary Anderson and Scott Mitchell-Malm of The Race have claimed that Red Bull needs to have a look at their car development strategy rather than make Lawson a scapegoat, just like they did with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon.
However, the general perception around the Hastings-born driver is quite negative with Red Bull demanding him to deliver. Team boss Christian Horner has apparently even delivered him with an ultimatum.
“Formula 1 is a pressure business, isn’t it? There’s always time pressure, and he knows that. Hopefully, he’ll respond accordingly, and we’ll see where we go,” Horner told RacingNews365.
That makes it a tumultuous period within Red Bull, even as the team strives to get things back into a championship-winning mode for their defending world champion.
