Max Verstappen’s camp surprised by ‘strange’ statement from Red Bull chief who ‘doesn’t know’ what he’s doing

Max Verstappen is only one penalty point away from a race ban before the Canadian Grand Prix, but the Red Bull ace could have an even bigger problem in his own team.

The four-time reigning champion is at risk of becoming just the second driver in F1 history to get a race ban due to reaching 12 penalty points on their FIA superlicence. Kevin Magnussen was the first F1 driver banned in 12 years as he had to miss the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Yet F1 could now see two drivers in two years have to spend a race on the naughty step. Red Bull need Verstappen to get through the Canadian GP and the Austrian Grand Prix weekends without drawing a penalty. The 27-year-old will lose two of his 11 penalty points on June 30.

Pierre Wache stunned Max Verstappen’s camp by admitting Red Bull could learn from Racing Bulls

Red Bull fear Verstappen will get a ban for the Austrian GP, given it is their home race and an event his Dutch fans flock to. But there are even concerns developing now in the Verstappen camp about Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache with his title hopes becoming smaller.

That is according to GPblog, which reports that Verstappen’s camp now has no confidence in Red Bull developing the RB21 into a title-winning package. He now trails McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship by 49 points ahead of this week’s Canadian GP.

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Red Bull are likely to improve the RB21 before switching their full focus to the major 2026 F1 regulation changes. But Verstappen’s camp does not feel Wache will develop the car enough to deny McLaren, as they now feel the Frenchman ‘doesn’t know’ how to improve the RB21.

Wache has also stunned the Verstappen camp after his ‘even stranger’ statements that Red Bull could even learn from their junior team, Racing Bulls, to improve their 2025 F1 car. The engineer’s admission shocked Verstappen’s camp, given Red Bull should have the best staff.

Max Verstappen will only lose more and more trust in Red Bull’s design team under Pierre Wache

Wache’s admission that Red Bull could actually learn from Racing Bulls, who have scored 28 points to sit sixth in the constructors’ championship, just serves to add to the tension that is growing behind the scenes in Milton Keynes between the technical director and Verstappen.

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It was already believed that Verstappen has lost confidence in Wache and Red Bull’s design department after struggling to turn the RB21 into a consistent McLaren beater. Their car can win races, but it excels best at high-speed tracks whereas the MCL39 works at any circuit.

Ralf Schumacher also believes that Verstappen will question Red Bull’s 2026 F1 rules car due to Wache, given the Frenchman has failed to guide the team previously led by Adrian Newey in making the RB21 a title-winner. Schumacher has seen numerous upgrades by Red Bull fail.