Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen responds to recent Red Bull exit fears raised by Helmut Marko amid the team’s struggles in the early 2025 F1 season.
The speculation intensified following a disappointing Bahrain Grand Prix where the Dutchman finished sixth after suffering grip and balance issues with the RB21, as well as operational problems during pit stops caused by a wiring loom failure affecting the traffic light release system.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko later openly expressed “great concern” that Verstappen might seek Red Bull exit before the end of his current contract – which runs through 2028 – if the team’s performance does not improve significantly.
However, Max Verstappen responds to these worries with a calm and focused stance, downplaying the rumors while highlighting his commitment to improving the car rather than contemplating a switch to another team.
“I don’t know, to be honest,” said Verstappen when he was asked whether Marko’s concerns were justified in an interview with Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft on Thursday at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“I just keep working, keep trying to improve the car now, naturally Bahrain wasn’t a great weekend for us.
“I think we were all pretty disappointed with that and we just keep on trying to improve the car. Come up with new ideas to try on the car. Competition is tough.
“That’s how I go about my weeks, just trying to improve the situation.”
Croft further questioned if Marko had ‘got the wrong end of the stick’ regarding his future, Max Verstappen responds: “No, I think just focus on commentating, I’ll focus on driving, and then you don’t need to think about any other scenarios.”
The RB21 has been characterized as a challenging car to drive with a narrow setup window that has hindered Verstappen’s ability to extract consistent performance.
While he demonstrated his impressive skills by winning the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka earlier in the season, the car’s lack of grip especially in slower corners became apparent in Bahrain.
This performance dip has fueled rumors of Verstappen potentially moving to Aston Martin where he could reunite with Adrian Newey – the renowned engineer who played a pivotal role in Red Bull’s past successes.
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The Red Bull exit rumors were further fueled by a reportedly tense exchange between Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen and Helmut Marko in the team garage during the Bahrain race weekend.
However, Verstappen himself has dismissed these narratives stating that internal discussions reflect a shared frustration aimed at improving results rather than signaling discord or imminent departure.
“To my knowledge, they were just having a conversation about everything, which I think is allowed,” he added. “Now if someone picks up on it, people can always see it in their own way, how people are discussing things.
“But I think we were all left frustrated with the result and the things that went wrong in the race. That’s where my manager Raymond and Helmut spoke about, even Christian [Horner, Red Bull team principal] came along, they all had a conversation and that should be allowed.
“We all care at the end of the day, we care about the team, about the people, about results. I think that’s quite normal.”
Verstappen’s approach to the situation reflects a mature and professional mindset, focusing on tangible progress rather than speculation.
His responses have been described as “brilliantly frustrating” by some commentators, as he neither confirms nor denies the rumors but consistently redirects attention to the task at hand—improving Red Bull’s car and performance.
This attitude underlines his status as a driver who prioritizes team unity and competitive excellence over media-driven narratives.
