There is no denying that Max Verstappen is the main figure at Red Bull. But his importance within the Milton-Keynes-based squad has arguably increased tenfold, thanks to the numerous changes the team has been going through. Today, Verstappen is stronger than ever before.
In 2024, Red Bull was engulfed with controversy, mainly because of the inappropriate behavior complaints against Team Principal Christian Horner. What followed was a mass exodus of key figures departing the team, which started with Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin.
AMuS journalist Michael Schmidt spoke about the same recently, highlighting how these incidents have made Red Bull wary of Verstappen wanting to leave. This year, Verstappen drove a comprehensively slow car to Championship glory, which showed Red Bull that his skills were invaluable.
“That’s why they need Verstappen. They will do anything to keep Max happy. Everything. And they don’t care who’s in the second car,” Schmidt said, suggesting that Red Bull’s second driver would need the Dutchman’s green light.
“When Verstappen says no, I don’t want to drive that person because it causes political unrest, that person will not join the team”, Schmidt added. To shed more light on the same, Schmidt took Carlos Sainz’s example.
Type of teammate Verstappen wants
Verstappen wants to be the number one driver at Red Bull, which is why when Sainz reportedly made himself available, the Austrian stable refused. Sainz, although not in the World Championship picture, has the potential to win races and push Verstappen to the limit.
This is something the 27-year-old and his dad Jos Verstappen would have loved to avoid. Schmidt also talked about the Spanish driver’s father, Carlos Sainz Sr., who tried his best to make his son the number one driver when both Sainz Jr. and Verstappen were at Toro Rosso.
“The fathers are both quite combative, each in their own way. Of course, they don’t want that. That is the price that Red Bull pays for Verstappen, and there is nothing else to add,” said Schmidt.
There was a reason why Verstappen loved Sergio Perez as his Red Bull deputy. The Mexican just about did the job of being a number-two, but never threatened Verstappen’s dominance. This could also be the reason why after Perez’s departure, Red Bull chose Liam Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda is a more experienced driver, having been in F1 for over four years, whereas Lawson has only started 11 races in his career. While Lawson is undeniably fast, perhaps Verstappen preferred not to have Tsunoda’s experience added to the equation as well.
