Max Verstappen has produced his least convincing start to a Formula 1 season in recent memory as he fights with a below-par Red Bull machine.
The Dutchman is hunting a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship in 2025 but is going to be up against it for the rest of the season.
Red Bull’s winter development has not been as impressive as their rivals, leading Liam Lawson to fail to make Q2 in three attempts before his demotion.
Verstappen has dragged the car into contention for more than it deserves to be. If he competes for the title this year, it will be purely down to his skill.
Verstappen will be terrified by what McLaren insiders are saying, with his main rivals expected to be even faster at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.
People at Red Bull feel Lawson could return after his very short stint with the team, but his teammate performed so much better that it can’t have done his reputation any good.
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Max Verstappen has ‘doubts’ over Red Bull’s ability to improve their 2025 F1 car
Losing the legendary designer Adrian Newey was a big dent for Red Bull last year. For 20 years, he had so much influence over many things, including championship-winning machines.
Now Newey works for the rival Aston Martin team, Ralf Bach believes that Verstappen is lacking confidence in his team’s ability to improve their 2025 car.
“Well, I have my doubts. I think Verstappen has them too,” he said. “Why should the same people who didn’t manage to improve the car after Newey be the ones who managed to make it worse?
“If anything, it got worse. If you look closely, the same people are now managing to do it. We’ll see. But that’s roughly what was discussed there.”
The current situation should be even more of a worry heading into the 2026 F1 regulations, with major changes incoming and an opportunity for big gains or losses.
Verstappen may decide to take a look at the Formula 1 driver market with seats at the likes of Mercedes up for grabs if he prefers.
READ MORE: Helmut Marko sets Red Bull deadline on when it will be ‘too late’ for Max Verstappen to catch McLaren
Helmut Marko ‘absolutely’ rules out one thing amid Max Verstappen’s F1 rival links
After a turbulent period in 2024, Verstappen was heavily linked with a move away from Red Bull, with the potential to take Helmut Marko with him.
It never unfolded, and Marko has made one thing clear amid Verstappen interest – that he will remain at his current team under any circumstances.
He ‘absolutely’ will not work with Mercedes or Aston Martin, despite links with Honda and their pending partnership with the latter from next season.
The Austrian has been a key figure in the four-time champion’s career for a very long time but ultimately serves the team. His biggest task may be finding his replacement for the future.
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