Red Bull’s faltering dominance and behind-the-scenes instability have contributed to rumors of Max Verstappen wanting to leave the team. However, according to The Race’s expert Glenn Freeman, Verstappen will stay put, and the links to other teams will die down before the summer break.
Out of all the potential destinations for Verstappen to choose from, Mercedes emerged as the frontrunner but on a podcast, Freeman said that he would be “surprised” if the move went through.
He feels that people in Verstappen’s entourage are more open to the idea of a move away from Milton-Keynes than Verstappen himself. Plus, he sees Red Bull returning to winning ways soon. “I think when we get back to conventional tracks, we are still gonna see Red Bull have an advantage. So I think there will still be some comfortable victories in the weeks and months to come.”
Even though Red Bull isn’t running away with the title after eight races so far in 2024 (as they did in 2023), winning the Championship shouldn’t be a daunting task, as Freeman pointed out.
On the other hand, his father Jos Verstappen doesn’t seem to care too much about Red Bull’s on-track performances. After falling out with team principal Christian Horner, he publicly claimed that the Briton would be the reason behind Red Bull’s downfall.
Verstappen continues to state that he doesn’t see himself leaving Red Bull in the near future. But, Jos remains adamant about their departure from the Austrian team and even met with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff earlier this year. The final decision, however, rests on Verstappen’s shoulders.
Is Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s era coming to an end?
Red Bull’s diminishing dominance isn’t a sign that they are turning into a weaker team. McLaren and Ferrari, its main rivals, are the ones who have made huge strides, leading to Red Bull losing two races already this season.
Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko also revealed that the sim data is not translating into their off-track performance. Verstappen admitted to the same in Monaco and insisted that there was no permanent solution. What this has done is turned the Championship battle into a three-way tussle, with Ferrari and McLaren predicted to push until the very end.
Verstappen’s stance on Red Bull’s problems will be visible when F1 returns to more ‘traditional’ circuits as Freeman pointed out. Winning there should shut the exit rumors down unless backstage politics play a major role in pushing Verstappen out of Red Bull.
