Concerns are growing within Red Bull that Max Verstappen may leave the team at the end of the year due to ongoing performance issues with his car. According to motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, the 27-year-old’s frustrations with his current vehicle are becoming increasingly evident.
Verstappen has been struggling with handling balance and brake problems, leading to a decline in performance compared to his rivals. This issue was particularly exposed at Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, where he finished sixth despite being just eight points off championship leader Lando Norris.
The Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, acknowledged that the car’s weaknesses were on full display in Bahrain, but noted that some of these issues had been masked by Verstappen’s exceptional qualifying performance in Japan last week. However, Horner emphasized that solving these problems will require significant work and may take time.
Marko’s comments highlight the need for Red Bull to improve their car’s performance, particularly with regards to tire handling and balance. The team’s struggles with this issue have led to speculation about Verstappen’s future, with some linking him to moves to Mercedes or Aston Martin in the past year. However, Horner is confident that his technical team will get to the bottom of these problems and produce a competitive car for the remainder of the season.
With only a few months left in the current contract, Verstappen’s situation remains uncertain, but Red Bull will need to address their performance issues quickly if they hope to keep one of their most talented drivers.
Source: https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/44667776/red-bull-fear-max-verstappen-exit-amid-f1-issues-helmut-marko