Red Bull now experiences the 'downside' of having a star driver like Max Verstappen

Red Bull Racing has, during the time with Sebastian Vettel and in recent years with Max Verstappen, opted for a proven formula: a star driver in combination with a second driver. This recipe has proven successful multiple times in the past. Not only with Red Bull, but also with Ferrari, Benetton and Renault. However, said approach also has its disadvantages.

The second driver is, in fact, always doomed from the outset. At Red Bull, this has been particularly evident in the Verstappen era. Vettel had Mark Webber as an experienced teammate for years, who could fairly match the German, but with Verstappen, this was often not the case.

Daniel Ricciardo held his ground in the initial years, but then followed Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda. Only the first two years with Sergio Perez could be considered as having a worthy second driver, the rest, he eventually buckled under the pressure of driving alongside a star like Max.

This situation also poses a problem in the constructors' championship. While driver number one secures the drivers' title, driver number two must score enough points to bring home the constructors' title. With a large gap between number 1 and 2, this can sometimes result in missing out on the constructors' title, as happened to Red Bull in 2021 and 2024.

Another problem is the succession of a driver like Max Verstappen. Christian Horner said in England that Dietrich Mateschitz once impressed upon him that they didn't need the best driver if they didn’t have the best car. This led to Sebastian Vettel’s departure at the end of 2014.

It was an answer to a question about the future of Max Verstappen and his potential succession. Red Bull naturally wants to continue with their star driver, but the question is whether Red Bull will have a competitive package in 2026. There are still many question marks surrounding that. It makes Verstappen doubt his future.

Putting all the eggs in one basket also makes Red Bull very dependent on that driver. If Verstappen decides to leave, then Red Bull is left with a huge gap. Red Bull will not, as Zak Brown often says, be a backmarker team without Verstappen, but it is clear that other drivers have difficulty with the Red Bull car. So, placing George Russell or any other driver in the Red Bull is no guarantee of success.

Verstappen's position also yields a certain power within the team. If Verstappen wants something, the team is quickly inclined to listen. After all, the team cannot afford to lose their star. It's a completely different situation than at McLaren or Mercedes.

At Mercedes, they deliberately opt for two strong drivers and not just one team leader. This makes the succession of drivers easier, as happened with Lewis Hamilton's exit. There, a driver is not bigger than the team, and the team will always continue to look for better drivers.

Of course, that approach also has its disadvantages. Because for the battle in the drivers' championship, it's more difficult, as both drivers take points from each other. A strong driver like Max Verstappen, though, will believe that he can beat any teammate.