Tensions are rising within the Red Bull Racing camp as concerns mount over Max Verstappen’s future with the team after a dismal showing at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite being the reigning four-time world champion, Verstappen could only manage a sixth-place finish in Sakhir, a sharp contrast to his dominant victories there in previous seasons.
The result has dropped the 27-year-old Dutchman to third in the championship standings, eight points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, prompting speculation about Verstappen’s long-term commitment to Red Bull.
“The concern is great,” admitted Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko in an interview with Sky Germany. “Improvements have to come in the near future so that he has a car with which he can win again. We have to create a basis with a car so that he can fight for the world championship.”
According to Sky Germany, fears are growing within Red Bull that Verstappen could activate a release clause in his contract, which currently runs until the end of 2028. Frustrations reportedly boiled over in the garage after the Bahrain race, with Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen seen angrily confronting Marko.
Verstappen himself offered a pointed remark post-race, telling Dutch reporters:
“I feel like I’m just competing in the championship, not fighting for it.”
The champion’s struggles on Sunday were compounded by a pit lane error, where a malfunction in Red Bull’s overhead light system delayed his release from the box—just one of many issues in what team boss Christian Horner described as a “bad weekend.”
“Nothing went our way from the start of the race,” Horner said. “But it’s a 24-race championship, we’re eight points behind in the drivers’ championship, and we know we need to make progress very quickly.”
Verstappen has been linked with both Mercedes and Aston Martin, the latter now home to Red Bull’s former design genius Adrian Newey and soon to be partnered with Honda—currently Red Bull’s engine supplier.
With the next race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah this weekend, the spotlight will remain fixed on Red Bull to deliver a swift turnaround—and on Verstappen to see whether his loyalty to the team will hold if the results continue to falter.
