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Former F1 driver on Verstappen Red Bull future: 'Secretly saying goodbye'

11:39, 25 Mar

byEwan Gale

Former Formula 1 driver Robert Doornbos suspects Max Verstappen is mentally preparing to leave Red Bull Racing amid the former constructors' champions' struggles.

The Milton Keynes-based team is under intense scrutiny after a tough 18 months in which it has fallen behind McLaren in the pecking order, ditched Sergio Perez for Liam Lawson - who already finds himself under pressure after just two lacklustre races with the squad - and lost a number of key personnel to rivals, including Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber, which will become the Audi works' team next year.

Verstappen has repeatedly committed to Red Bull, with his current contract running to the end of the 2028 season, but given the internal turmoil at Red Bull ahead of the dawn of new regulations next year, his future has been questioned.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff publically announced his efforts to draw the four-time champion to Mercedes last season, though that never came to fruition. But Doornbos believes the Dutchman is now prepared to leave.

Verstappen "too relaxed" amid Red Bull struggles

After Verstappen came runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint before finishing fourth behind both McLarens and Mercedes' George Russell in the main event, Doornbos told Ziggo Sport's Race Café.

"I think Max Verstappen is a bit too relaxed under the whole situation.

"What Red Bull also feels is that if they have too many problems with the second driver, and then also crisis management within the organisation.... Because can Pierre Wache and his team really make that car better, and mount an attack on McLaren?"

"Can they offer Max what he wants? I think Max is secretly already saying goodbye to the team, in his head.

"That he thinks of these second driver problems as, 'Then it's Lawson again and then it's Yuki again; it will all be fine. I just want a car I can perform better with.'

"This weekend again. the maximum he could achieve was a podium in the sprint and a fourth place in the main race."

This article was written in collaboration with Kimberley Hoefnagel.