As speculation continues about his future, Gerhard Berger believes that Max Verstappen would be well advised to continue the adventure with Red Bull.
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Despite a contract tying him to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, Max Verstappen’s future continues to fuel discussions in the paddock. The difficulties faced by the Austrian team since the beginning of the year and the many rumors sending him elsewhere keep the uncertainty around the four-time world champion.
For Gerhard Berger, however, the Dutchman would be making a mistake by leaving Red Bull now. The former Formula 1 driver believes the team has all the ingredients to quickly return to the front.
Berger still believes in the Red Bull project
After dominating the sport between 2021 and 2024 with four consecutive world titles, Verstappen is going through a more difficult period. The RB22 struggles to regularly compete with Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, and the balance and handling problems of the car regularly frustrate the Dutch driver.
This drop in competitiveness has naturally reignited speculation about a possible departure. Yet, questioned several times in recent months, Verstappen has always refused to confirm his intentions for the coming seasons.
Gerhard Berger, meanwhile, believes the world champion must be patient and continue to believe in the project launched by Red Bull.
“I am a big admirer of Max. I think he is an exceptional driver.”
The Red Bull engine, a promising base
The former Austrian driver recalls that the Milton Keynes team has undertaken a particularly ambitious challenge with the development of its own powertrain.
Even though Red Bull has recruited many engineers from other manufacturers, Berger already finds the first results very encouraging compared to references like Mercedes or Ferrari, who have immense experience in this field.
“When you see that Red Bull has built its own engine, it’s impressive. Certainly, they have recruited people from other teams, but competing from the first year with the experience of Mercedes or Ferrari is already a very good performance.”
According to him, the current difficulties are ultimately quite normal for a manufacturer discovering a project of such magnitude.
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A team capable of bouncing back quickly
In recent weeks, Verstappen has not hidden his frustration with the behavior of his car, regularly pointing out a lack of balance as well as handling problems.
Berger also acknowledges that Red Bull is going through a delicate period in terms of reliability. Several technical failures have complicated the team’s weekends, notably regarding some aerodynamic elements.
However, the Austrian does not consider these issues as a fatality.
“They are currently experiencing some reliability problems. This is obviously not ideal, especially when it comes to the wings, but other teams also face this type of difficulty.”
In his view, Red Bull still has the necessary skills to quickly regain its level of performance.
A return to the top within a year?
Gerhard Berger believes the best strategy for Verstappen is to continue his work with the team rather than give in to transfer rumors.
According to him, if Red Bull continues to strengthen its technical staff and pursues the development of its engine project, the team could become a reference again in the near future.
“If Max continues to work calmly with his team and they manage to attract some good recruits, I think that in six to twelve months, Red Bull will be extremely competitive again.”
An analysis that contrasts with the many speculations surrounding Verstappen’s future. While the Dutchman is regularly rumored to join Mercedes or Aston Martin, Berger believes the wisest bet is to rely on Red Bull’s ability to bounce back rather than change environment.
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