Defending champion dismisses exit rumors but admits Red Bull must improve to stay in title contention

JEDDAH — Reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull Racing amid growing concerns about the team’s performance and speculation over his future. Despite a frustrating sixth-place finish in the season opener in Bahrain, Verstappen dismissed rumors that he is considering a move to a rival team.

Speaking ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen addressed the swirling speculation. “Honestly, a lot of people are talking about it—except me,” he said. “I just want to focus on my car and work with the people in my team. That is all I am thinking about in F1 at the moment.”

Verstappen’s remarks come after a disappointing showing in Bahrain, where Red Bull struggled with balance issues and a lack of pace compared to frontrunners McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. The team has pointed to inconsistencies between wind tunnel data and on-track performance as a key challenge.

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko described the performance as “very alarming,” expressing concern that the Dutchman, who has a performance-based escape clause in his contract, could be tempted to leave. In response to the underwhelming result, Marko and team principal Christian Horner reportedly held internal crisis talks to address the car’s deficiencies.

Verstappen, however, emphasized that he remains loyal to the team, while acknowledging shared frustration over the car’s current limitations.

“I’m happy at Red Bull,” he said. “I’m just not very happy with our car. But that goes for everyone—we all want to be better. That’s what we’re trying to improve.”

The atmosphere within the team has come under further scrutiny amid reports of internal tensions. Following the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz observed a heated exchange in the Red Bull garage between Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, and Marko. Verstappen downplayed the incident.

“To my knowledge they were having a conversation about everything, which is allowed,” he explained. “We were all left frustrated with things that went wrong in the race. That’s what my manager, Raymond, and Helmut spoke about. Christian joined as well—they had a conversation. We all care about the team, the people, and the results.”

Currently third in the drivers’ standings, Verstappen trails McLaren’s Lando Norris by eight points, with Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri in second. McLaren has emerged as the early leader in performance, reversing last season’s trend where Verstappen dominated the opening rounds en route to his fourth world title.

With the championship picture looking more competitive in 2025, Verstappen admitted that Red Bull needs to step up.

“I just go race by race. The rest is out of my hands anyway,” he said. “Of course, if we are not the quickest, it’s very tough to fight for a championship. I’m hopeful we can still improve things, but let’s see what we get.”

Verstappen returns to Jeddah as the defending race winner, having claimed victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2024 with a commanding 13-second margin over then-teammate Sergio Pérez. This time, however, he faces a more uncertain road ahead.