Jos Verstappen warns: “Max will only stay in Red Bull with a competitive car”

F1 Verstappen Red Bull – Jos Verstappen has clarified the main condition for the future of his son Max in Red Bull: the team will have to guarantee a competitive car fighting for the title also in 2025. In an interview with Formule1 NL, the former Benetton driver and Minardi – among other teams – said: “A lot will depend on what happens here in Red Bull. If they are still ahead next year, Max will remain without problems.”

Verstappen and the competitiveness of Red Bull

Despite the fourth drivers' title won in 2024, the Austrian team's supremacy has weakened, with Verstappen triumphing in only two of the last fourteen races. This decline has pushed the Verstappen clan to keep a high focus on the team's technical project, especially in view of the regulatory change scheduled for 2026.

The alliance between Red Bull and Ford to become the sole chassis and engine manufacturer starting from the new regulatory cycle represents an ambitious but risky challenge. Jos admitted that the level of competitiveness of the car and the engine will be an unknown until the first tests. “No one can know how good the 2026 package will be until it's on track. It's a discovery you only make in the moment.”

The scenarios for 2025 and 2026

Looking at the current landscape, McLaren's dominance in the 2024 constructors' championship, thanks to the collaboration with Mercedes, offers an example of how technical decisions can be decisive. “Look at McLaren and Mercedes. Is having a Mercedes engine really an advantage right now? I wouldn't say so. But this is the competition: it is the charm of this sport, where it is possible to make bad choices. And it has never been different in Formula 1.”

Max Verstappen's future in Red Bull therefore seems closely linked to the team's ability to remain at the top. The strategic decisions made in the coming months will be crucial to ensuring the continuity of a relationship that has marked one of the most successful eras in the recent history of motorsport.