Max Verstappen is “Quite Proud of” Not Succumbing to the ‘Stress’ Obtained from Red Bull’s Difficult Days

The way Red Bull started its 2024 season with Max Verstappen winning seven out of the opening ten races, it seemed like defending the Championship would be no big deal. Reality, however, was far from it. Red Bull’s performance started to deteriorate soon after its early success.

Verstappen, however, is happy that he didn’t fold from the pressure. Red Bull, after being a consistent winning machine over the last couple of years, soon turned into the third-fastest team on the grid, especially during the European leg which began in May.

Many thought that this would unravel Verstappen’s mental fortitude but the Dutchman kept his calm.

There were moments where he lost his temper, most notably in Hungary where he gave his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase a hard time because balance issues with the RB20 were affecting his ability to drive. He struggled to even get to the top three in certain races like that. Regardless, he kept his head and focused on the bigger picture.

“Looking back at it, having to face the tough moments in that year as well is something that I am quite proud of. Because it’s easy to lose your head, and start stressing about everything,” the 27-year-old said in a Q&A session for Team Redline.

Verstappen felt that he did a good job at drowning out the noise, also at the start of the campaign when there were inappropriate behavior allegations floating out against team principal Christian Horner. He was often put on the spot and asked questions about the incident. It could have broken his morale or distracted him, but Verstappen only focused on getting wins.

Those early season points proved quite crucial for Verstappen to retain his points lead in the drivers’ standings at the end of the year.

However, in 2025, the Red Bull driver isn’t expected to have an outright winning car anymore. So, there is a possibility that his championship challenge might take some time to properly kick off.

Will Verstappen put up with Red Bull being slower in 2025?

Ideally, Verstappen would want to have the dominant flawless machinery he had between 2022 and 2023. But the way Red Bull’s development trajectory has gone off course, he will have to contend with a relatively slower car. In such a case, the Austrian outfit would certainly count on individual brilliance more than anything else.

Still, Verstappen wants his team to iron out the car’s issues, which are rumored to be carried over from the RB20. That will be something the 27-year-old will have to make peace with, at least for the initial rounds.

If the gremlins in Red Bull’s car last longer than that, it would certainly push Verstappen away from the team. Particularly, with teams like Mercedes and Aston Martin reportedly interested in signing him, Red Bull’s lack of competitiveness at the front could play a crucial role in what Verstappen decides about his future.

There were rumors that Aston Martin had offered the four-time champion a staggering billion-dollar deal to join them. These have been denied by the team since but it is a no-brainer for a team like Aston Martin to try and poach Verstappen, given their championship ambitions.

On top of that, the Dutchman knows that if he decides to put himself on the driver market, teams throughout the paddock will line up to secure his services. As things stand, he is keen on staying put at Red Bull, hoping that they continue to provide him with a competitive car at the sharp end of the field.