Fresh questions over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future as ‘important people’ leave

Does Max Verstappen's future lie away from Red Bull? Respected Dutch F1 jꦏournalist has his say.

Max Verstappen at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen’s F1 future has once again been brought into question following the de🅘partures of “important peopl🐻e” from Red Bull.

The reigning world champion’s future has been a hot topic this year after Mercedes’ public attempts to lure Verstappen to the team as Ferrari-bound 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for next season.

Amid some political turmoil within the Red Bull camp fo💜llowing the allegations of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour made against team principal Christian Horner, Verstappen’s future came into question.

Vers🉐tappen, who is under contract until the end of 2028, has repeatedly insisted he has nꦕo intention of leaving Red Bull, but his future continues to be a talking point.

It recently emerged that Red Bull have tied down motorsport advisor Helmut Marko - whose own future appears tied to Verstappen’s - to a fresh commitment in a blow to their rivals’ hopes of poaching the Dutchma🐷n.

Asked if he is confident Verstappen will stay at Red Bull in 2025, De Telegraaf journalist Erik van Haren told the F1 Nation Podcast: “Yes. The thing is in Austria he said he would stay but it was of course after three or four questi✃ons.

“It was not that he said it right at the ൩beginning. The third question it was, I think, that was ‘yes or no?’ And of course he couldn’t say no because then there was a cr😼isis that weekend.

“But I think it has always been his intention to stay for next for sure at Red Bull. Only when there is a big chaos, or in Jeddah I think when he said when there was speculation about Helmut Mar💃ko being suspended, then he w♉as quite clear; ‘if he goes, I go’. That didn’t happen of course but I think it’s always his intention to stay at Red Bull for 2025.”

However, van Haren conceded it remains to be seen whether Adrian Newey an🅘d Jonathan Wheatley’s exitsꦿ will have impacted Verstappen’s thinking.

“But it’s a fair point as well, he said at the beginning of the year with all the questions, that for him it was important that important people at the team stay,” van Haren continued. “And now, it’s quite interesting to see that Newey and Wheatley are leaving a few months after🐠 each other.

“That says that it’s not that quiet at Red Bull but of course you can say that with Jonathan Wheatley, he goes to Audi to be team principal. So you also can say ‘ok that’s a promotion for him to be team principal’. That space is not ther😼e at Red Bull because Christian Horner is in charge. So ಌyou can also say about that.

“I am curious what Max will say about that on Thursday in Zandvoort because of course we will ask about that. I don’t think that will change anything for his plans for 2025, but for 2026, it will be very inte🎃resting what he will do.” 

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