2024 will have been a halftone year for Red Bull. Very efficient at the start of the season, the Austrian single -seater allowed Max Verstappen to quickly take the lead and to dig a comfortable gap in the pilot championship.
However, in the second part of the season, the Austrian team was caught up, then exceeded by McLaren and Ferrari. Finally, although Verstappen won his fourth consecutive title of world pilot champion, Red Bull finished only 3rd in the manufacturers' championship.
Despite a contract binding it to Red Bull until 2028, the Dutchman could consider a departure if the performances do not follow. The main councilor of the stable, Helmut Marko, wants to be realistic and admits that there will be “no reason for Max to stay” if the new RB21 is not competitive.
In addition, Verstappen is closely followed by several stables, notably Mercedes. Currently, the German team aligns a pair of pilots made up of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, but with the end of the Russell contract scheduled for 2025, Mercedes could try to attract Dutch. In addition, if rumors are proven, Mercedes would have a head start on the new regulations of 2026, which would constitute a weight argument to convince the quadruple world champion.
Red Bull must offer a competitive car
Helmut Marko acknowledged that the team must provide Verstappen with a car capable of fighting on all the circuits to allow him to aim for another title. Although he trusts the talent of the Dutchman, Marko knows that without a good car, the task will be more difficult. And with an uncompetitive car, Verstappen could be tempted to leave.
As Marko explained to F1-Insider : “We must provide him with a car with which he can win on his own. It can be one or two tenths of a second slower than the others, but unlike last year's car, it must be competitive throughout the season and on each circuit. If we do not succeed, there is no reason for Max to stay with us. You have to be realistic about it. »»
-To strengthen this idea, Jos Verstappen, Max's father, had already suggested that “anything is possible” concerning the future of his son: “He can stay with Red Bull if he sees an interest. His goal is always to be able to win races. If it feels that it is no longer possible at Red Bull, a departure cannot be excluded. »»
The 2025 season will therefore be crucial for Red Bull if they wish to keep their Dutch prodigy.
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To summarize
With a less competitive car at the end of the 2024 season, Red Bull lost the title manufacturers. If Max Verstappen has still won the pilot title, Helmut Marko knows what the team has to do so that the Dutchman remains.
