Red Bull told Max Verstappen’s loyalty ‘will only go so far’ | F1 | Sport

Red Bull have been warned that Max Verstappen‘s loyalty to the team is not endless. The Dutchman stuck with Red Bull last year despite strong interest from Mercedes, as his streak of championship successes came to its end.

It is understood a clause in Verstappen’s contract, which may allow him to walk away if he is lower than second in the championship by the summer, will again become active later this year. And team principal Laurent Mekies has already admitted that Red Bull, who will this year race with engines built in-house for the first time, “will be trailing” their rivals in early rounds of the season.

Given the rumours surrounding his future last year, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes Verstappen is actively keeping his options open in case he needs to find a quicker car. “Loyalty is important, but it can only go so far,” he told Express Sport, via JeffBet. “When you’re in Verstappen’s position, you have to have that trust that Red Bull can offer him what he needs to win races.

“But if Red Bull can’t consistently offer him the tools he needs, like in 2025, sometimes, loyalty comes to an end. Feelings can shift because they’re not giving you what they should be giving you. I think a driver of Max’s stature is always looking for the next best thing. That doesn’t mean it could be next year, it could be in the next two or three years. All the rumours last season were a sign that Max might be looking elsewhere, let’s see.”

The current Red Bull team has a very different look these days, several high-profile, long-serving figures having departed. Legendary designer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley walked away in 2024, looking for new challenges. Christian Horner was ousted last summer as the team’s results declined, Mekies installed in his place.

And it was confirmed last month that team adviser Helmut Marko, described as a “second father figure” by Verstappen, would not get a new contract. But Herbert does not believe the Austrian’s exit will make too much of a difference regarding Verstappen’s future witht he team.

He said: “It’s always important to have that support mechanism. Now Horner and Marko are gone, it could have an effect. I’m not sure Marko will have too much of an effect, though. He was more of a coach for the young drivers and Max doesn’t need any coaching. If he does, it would probably come from his management or family. I don’t think Marko’s departure affects the inner sanctum of Red Bull either.”

In contrast, keeping hold of race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, despite interest from other teams, could be crucial. Herbert added: “GP is the closest connection Max has when he’s in the car – it’s so strong. They’re able to throw rockets at each other, but they’re also able to take the positives from their relationship. That relationship might be Max’s most powerful thing he has at Red Bull.”