Concern raised over Verstappen-Red Bull bond: 'Something seems to have broken down'

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, the former F1 driver suggested that the relationship between Verstappen and Red Bull is beginning to show signs of strain, with the continued uncertainty surrounding the Dutchman’s future also becoming increasingly frustrating for the team. He believes Red Bull has not delivered the required performance, particularly after starting the season with a poor and extremely difficult car to drive, even if subsequent updates have brought some improvement.

“Something seems to have broken down a little between Verstappen and Red Bull. This continuing uncertainty surrounding the future is also starting to become frustrating for the team. The team itself hasn’t delivered enough. The car was especially poor at the beginning of the season; the update at least improved things somewhat. But the car remains quite tough to drive.”

The German believes Verstappen is effectively caught between familiarity and opportunity. Red Bull remains the environment in which he feels comfortable, but McLaren's competitiveness could give him reason to consider a different path, particularly with Norris already proving the car is capable of winning.

He suggested Verstappen would likely back himself to extract even more from that package, leaving his confidence in Red Bull's recovery as the decisive factor. Much could depend on whether he is prepared to wait for the team's restructuring to deliver results.

Guenther Steiner has played down Mercedes as a potential destination for Max Verstappen, suggesting the team already has its own future superstar in Kimi Antonelli. With Ferrari's seats also occupied, the former Haas boss believes the Dutchman's options would be extremely limited if he decided to leave Red Bull.

Steiner stressed that Verstappen would only consider a switch if he believed another team could offer him a better opportunity. Red Bull may no longer be as dominant as it once was, but he still regards the outfit as one of Formula 1's leading forces, while its status as a works team with its own engine represents another important advantage.

That potentially leaves McLaren as the main alternative. However, Steiner questioned whether moving there would necessarily be an upgrade, despite the team's strong results with a Mercedes customer engine. He also expressed uncertainty over whether a McLaren opportunity would even be available, maintaining that Verstappen's priority would ultimately be to race for the strongest team possible.