Ralf Schumacher believes that the relationship between Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing is beginning to show some signs of fragility, but the two parties are probably doomed to get along.
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While uncertainty persists regarding the Dutchman’s future, on the eve of his home Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the former Formula 1 driver thinks that the situation is also becoming burdensome for his team.
“Something seems to have deteriorated a bit between Verstappen and Red Bull,” Schumacher explains to Sky Deutschland. This constant uncertainty around his future is also starting to become frustrating for the team.”
McLaren could tempt Verstappen
According to him, Red Bull also bears some responsibility in this situation due to the insufficient performance of its car: “The team has not met expectations. The car was particularly bad at the start of the season. The upgrades have at least somewhat improved things, but it remains quite difficult to drive.”
Schumacher thinks Verstappen is now torn between his attachment to Red Bull and the possibility of joining a currently more competitive team: “On one hand, Max still feels at home at Red Bull. On the other, there is McLaren, where Lando Norris is capable of winning with this car. Max certainly thinks he could do even better.”
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The central question would therefore be his confidence in Red Bull’s project: “It is necessary to know whether Max no longer believes that Red Bull can turn the situation around, or if the restructuring process simply takes too long in his eyes.”
Stay by default?
Another outspoken TV consultant, Guenther Steiner, is nevertheless more cautious about a possible departure. The former boss of Haas notably believes that Mercedes is an unlikely destination, the German team having placed Kimi Antonelli at the center of its long-term project.
For Steiner, Verstappen would only leave Red Bull if he was convinced he had a better opportunity elsewhere. Despite its current difficulties, the Milton Keynes team remains one of the main forces in F1 and also has the advantage of now being a factory team with its own engine.
McLaren would not necessarily represent an obvious improvement according to Steiner, despite its recent performances and return to victory. Verstappen’s choice should therefore primarily depend on one question: which team will offer him the best chances of winning in the medium term? Red Bull still has strong arguments, but the uncertainty surrounding his future shows that the answer is no longer as obvious as it once was.
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