Verstappen clear about threat to leave Red Bull: 'I wasn't bluffing'
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- Nicole Mulder
The beginning of the 2024 season could have gone better for Red Bull Racing. The team was unsettled and the tensions were running high. It got to a point where Max Verstappen threatened to leave if Helmut Marko was released, and according to Verstappen, he meant every word.
Verstappen stresses: 'Statements about Marko were not a bluff'
Verstappen tried to focus solely on racing and keep out of the issues surrounding the team. Verstappen wanted to stay clear of what was going on with team principal Christian Horner at the time but he had to step in when an investigation into Helmut Marko was announced. Verstappen made it clear to the team that he would follow suit and leave the team if Marko was sent away.
In a conversation with De Telegraaf, Verstappen said: "I think it was important that I said that then. And I meant it, too. I wasn't bluffing. And they know that within the team too." Verstappen also noted that he wasn't sure about his feelings surrounding his future at Red Bull, given that the team was having some internal issues. He continued, "But on the other hand, I also don't think that if something goes wrong, you can immediately just say: I'm leaving. I'm not like that."
Verstappen also defended his father, Jos Verstappen. Only Max knows the true inner workings of Jos's intentions, and when the critics spoke against the senior Verstappen and his interests in his son's career, Max Verstappen said, "That is nonsense. My father is very quick to see the bigger picture. And that certain things that happen affect the future of me and the team. Some people on the outside might not see that."
Verstappen: 'Fortunately, we still had the fastest car back then'
Luckily for the team, their car was still in top form. If the car and the team had been struggling it would have made it worse for Verstappen. "When it was very turbulent around the team, we still had the fastest car. Luckily. Otherwise, it would have been a lot harder for everyone," Verstappen said.
After the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen rarely had the fastest car. However, he still managed to keep his lead over Lando Norris and secure his fourth world championship title. That makes him proud of his team and how they dealt with the difficult weekends.
This article was written in collaboration with Savannah Lenz.
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