Is Marko Still Worried About Verstappen Possibly Leaving Red Bull?

May 5 – Dr Helmut Marko is no longer so worried that Max Verstappen could walk away from Red Bull at the end of 2025.

Rumours are still rampant that amid ongoing performance and internal strife, and now a growing number of mistakes even in the pits, the quadruple world champion could jump ship just in time for the radical 2026 rules.

Mercedes was clearly interested in signing Verstappen last year, and now there are rumours of a standing $100 million per year offer from Aston Martin.

“I read that too,” Marko, Red Bull advisor, told Bild newspaper. “But I don’t think that matters much to Max. For one thing, he doesn’t earn too badly with us, and for another, he just wants to win.

“That’s why we have to provide him with the fastest car. And we’re working on that. We’ll be making upgrades to the car soon.”

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, however, said he “can’t imagine” that the Imola upgrade will close the gap substantially to McLaren, while team boss Christian Horner even denied that the upgrade is even substantial.

Marko, though, has been talking up the Imola upgrade for some time, seeming to imply that if it doesn’t work, Verstappen may edge towards the exit.

“I’m not thinking about that because I’m confident it will work as planned,” Marko, 82, insisted. “We’ve identified our problem areas and are working on solutions.”

Therefore, he rejects the suggestion that Red Bull is in “crisis”.

“That’s an overstatement,” said the Austrian. “We mustn’t forget that we are the only team besides McLaren to win a grand prix, and our form has improved somewhat recently. But we’re still not satisfied. Our ambitions are different.

“We want to win races and titles,” Marko added. “But that requires not only an exceptional driver, but also the fastest car. We don’t have that at the moment. But nothing’s lost yet. We still have every chance of winning both world championship titles.

“It would be disastrous if we gave up just because things aren’t going according to plan.”

However, Marko did declare recently that he is “very worried” ongoing stagnation at Red Bull could result in Verstappen, 27, jumping to a rival team.

“That’s true,” he confirmed, “but that worry has already shrunk.

“Max is loyal and he has subsequently committed publicly to Red Bull. And that fits with what I see in him now. He’s fully focused on his job here.

“That’s why I don’t think he’s even considering a change,” Marko said. “Quite the opposite. I’m convinced Max will continue to compete for Red Bull in 2026.”

He said he’s had multiple conversations with Verstappen about his expectations for 2025. “Everyone – including Max – agreed that defending the title is obviously the goal, but we can’t assume that we’ll succeed.

“We’ll do everything we can, but no one can expect us to win every time,” said Marko.

Verstappen, a brand new father to daughter Lily, confirmed that he is attacking the 2025 season in a way that is far less “emotional” than is being suggested in the media.

“Of course, the baby is an exception,” he smiled to Viaplay. “I’ve never been so nervous at resting heart rate. But the rest is just racing, and I’ve been doing it for so long that nothing can really shake me.

“I’ve been saying it for a long time – once you’ve fulfilled your dream of grand prix victories and title wins, you’re much more relaxed. Even if you have a bad day, it doesn’t really matter. It’s more about how you get things back on track – you just keep going and put it behind you.

“You become much calmer and focus on what lies ahead. That’s what I’m doing,” Verstappen insisted.

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