The F1 paddock is buzzing with speculation about Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull as the team’s early season hasn’t been exactly perfect. Despite being contracted until 2028, rumours have intensified following the disappointing performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix held last weekend.
He finished in sixth place at the race, but it was a nightmare for him and the team due to a series of brake issues, costly pit stops, and tire degradation. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor, openly admitted to “great concerns” about retaining the reigning champion. It already fueled the speculations of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull, but if it was not enough, his fall in the Driver’s Championship set the stage for his departure. The situation escalated after a heated argument between his manager and Marko, further debating the issue.
Experts On Max Verstappen Leaving Red Bull
Many paddock insiders believe his exit is already done as Sky F1’s Simon Lazenby said, “Everybody’s talking about it in the paddock. There’s no two ways about it. You go up to people from Dutch media, some of them are saying ‘we think it’s done already’. Others are saying he’s in discussions. This is the nature of it. We might as well report what we see, report what we hear.”
If the Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull rumours are true, he could be joining Aston Martin, as his frontrunner, Lawrence Stroll’s team, is reportedly preparing a £1 billion, five-year offer to pair Max Verstappen with Adrian Newey. Simon Lazenby said, “Names will remain anonymous, but there are some that are saying he’s going off to Aston Martin.”
Mercedes could also put out a great offer, as Toto Wolff’s interest in him has been no secret. Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok warned Verstappen, saying, “I think Red Bull have created a situation, perhaps, where Max has got a say on who is in the other car. Whereas at Mercedes, he may not have a say,”
Ralf Schumacher also isn’t behind on the whole of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull controversy as he claimed that the driver will “definitely leave” mentioning in a statement, “I’m pretty sure that if the upgrade to the car doesn’t take effect by Imola and the new engine – I’m just talking about rumours now – doesn’t run quite as well, Max Verstappen will definitely leave the team,”
Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull could be a turning point in the F1 2025 season, as the decision will determine if McLaren’s lead in the game will stay relevant or Max Verstappen will conquer the top again with his new team.
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