Max Verstappen has won the last four Formula 1 world championships. That matches Lewis Hamilton’s best-ever streak in the sport.
In fact, only one driver has ever won more titles consecutively – Michael Schumacher at Ferrari between 2000 and 2004. And yet, in the eyes of many observers, Verstappen doesn’t enter the season as the favourite.
Instead, that mantle falls to Lando Norris. Among other pundits, Karun Chandhok has said Norris is in pole position for the 2025 title.
Red Bull are in a much weaker position than they were 12 months ago, when they were coming off the back of the most dominant season ever. That partly reflects rivals’ (inevitable) progress, but also the problems at Milton Keynes.
Verstappen endured a 10-race winless run, his longest since 2020, between the Spanish and Sao Paulo Grands Prix last year. During that period, he repeatedly complained about the handling of his car.
Red Bull eventually finished third in the constructors’ championship. Verstappen beat Norris to the drivers’ title, but this year he may not have the luxury of an early cushion.
Jos Verstappen wary of Red Bull issues after Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley exits
Adrian Newey is about to start work at Aston Martin after resigning from his role at Red Bull. Newey is almost universally regarded as one of the greatest designers in F1 history.
A month later, Jonathan Wheatley will take up the team principal position at Sauber/Audi. Wheatley was previously the sporting director at Milton Keynes.
Speaking to Dutch outlet racexpress, Jos Verstappen said it’s ‘incredibly important’ for Red Bull to prove they can still deliver a contending car without these influential figures. Technical director Pierre Wache will take on greater responsibility, while race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has been promoted to head of racing.
Verstappen senior clarified that he was still ‘optimistic’ about the year ahead. But he did say his son would be worried if Red Bull stutter.
“It’s just waiting to see whether Red Bull have made a good car,” he said. “That is really incredibly important for Max to see whether they can still do it with these new people.
“You’ll also take that with you to next year where everything is new. If they can’t figure it out here, then maybe you do worry for the years after that. We are optimistic, but do we want to see it progress.”
Max Verstappen breaks his silence on Aston Martin F1 rumours
In 2026, Red Bull are launching their own engine operation. Partners Ford are already downplaying expectations, adding to the uncertainty around the team’s long-term prospects.
If Verstappen doesn’t believe he can continue to win at Christian Horner’s team, there are two main suitors. The first is Mercedes, though it’s unclear whether he’d replace George Russell or Kimi Antonelli.
The second is Aston Martin, where he could more naturally succeed an ageing Fernando Alonso. There’s even been talk of a £1bn contract offer from Lawrence Stroll.
Verstappen played down the Aston Martin rumours, however, ahead of the F1 75 launch this week. When it was put to him that their Silverstone HQ wasn’t far from Milton Keynes, he pointed out that he lives in Monaco ‘so it doesn’t really matter’.
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