Verstappen stands tall as only Red Bull member unshaken by title fight defeat

For weeks, Red Bull Racing’s motto had been that they had nothing to lose. For the Austrian outfit, it was a miracle in itself that Max Verstappen was still in the title fight. After the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen was, after all, 104 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Thanks to victories in Italy, Azerbaijan, Austin, Las Vegas, and Qatar, however, there suddenly was a chance that Verstappen could still become world champion this year. Although everyone insisted that it was a weekend like any other, the aftermath told a different story.

The only one who truly entered the weekend relaxed was Verstappen himself. You could tell after the race that he genuinely didn’t mind that he was not crowned champion. He gave everything he had this season, and it wasn’t enough. For him, his goal in F1 has already been achieved. He’s already got four titles at home. A fifth would have been nice, but if it was not meant to be, he’s not going to cry about it.

Verstappen backed up those words on Sunday. The Dutchman was the first to congratulate Lando Norris after the race and seemed genuinely happy for his colleague. A year ago, Verstappen had already whispered to him that his chance would come.

The grueling season clearly took its toll on the rest of the team. It’s been a long year for Red Bull. A team that, up until Christian Horner’s dismissal, was torn apart by an internal power struggle that had been going on since early 2024.

Although the atmosphere improved drastically after Laurent Mekies arrived and the team started operating well as one again, there were still plenty within the team who supported Horner and saw him get fired.

On top of that internal struggle came the title fight. Where midway through they wrote it off, Red Bull fought its way back into the drivers’ battle. The team increasingly found the RB21's operating best window, and Verstappen capitalized on it to the best of his ability.

That people within Red Bull had started to believe in perhaps the greatest comeback in sports history became evident afterward in the paddock. Red Bull had just won a race, yet disappointment was etched on the face of every Red Bull employee walking out of the garage. It just wasn’t quite enough.

Emotions ran highest for Gianpiero Lambiase. For Verstappen’s race engineer, the year had been especially tough due to personal circumstances, and it all came out after the race. Lambiase also missed two races this season because of that reason. However, there is no question of Lambiase leaving or getting another role within the team, GPblog has learned.

Someone who will be thinking about his future at the team is Helmut Marko. The Red Bull Racing advisor was very disappointed afterward that he couldn’t secure a fifth world title for his protégé Max. A disappointment that Marko seemed to blame himself for as well.

Marko said he would sleep on it, but Marko returning in 2026 being a certainty is far from being the case. Although the Austrian has a contract for 2026, enough has happened this year that could lead him to decide to call it a day.

“It’s complex,” Marko said when asked why he is considering stepping down from his role at Red Bull. It’s been a long and arduous season for the Austrian as well. At 82, Marko was present at each of the 24 Grands Prix and also played a key role this season in the decision to dismiss Christian Horner as team principal and CEO after 20 years.

Since then, things have changed within Red Bull Racing. Marko appears to have lost some of his power. In the past, for example, he always had full authority to decide which drivers would race for Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. That is no longer the case.

Marko still has a voice, but there are more voices that count now. Laurent Mekies and Oliver Mintzlaff, for instance, now also have a say, meaning Marko’s preferences do not always prevail.

Expectations for 2026 will also play a role. 2025 may have been the last chance to win a world title with Verstappen. In 2026, Red Bull faces the formidable task of being immediately competitive with its own engine. Pulling that off in year one against major manufacturers like Ferrari and Mercedes would be an enormous feat.

If Red Bull isn’t competitive in 2026, the chance of Verstappen leaving becomes significant. The Dutchman chose to remain loyal to Red Bull for 2026, partly because no one yet knows what the pecking order will look like next year. Once that picture is clear, the best driver on the grid will likely be able to choose where he wants to go.

So Red Bull’s dejection was understandable. This was still a major opportunity to capture that fifth consecutive title, something only Michael Schumacher has ever achieved. It would have been the crowning glory of a magnificent era in which Verstappen and Red Bull showed Formula 1 who was boss.

In less than two months, a new era begins with the first winter test in Barcelona. Who will set the tone then? For now, no one knows.

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