Apart from the many successes the team has already achieved this season, the 2024 season has also been turbulent for the team. Looking at the results of reigning world champion Max Verstappen, he does not seem to have been really influenced by what has happened within his team recently. However, the Limburger must also have thought about his own future now that many changes are taking place within the Red Bull Racing team. He was questioned about this by Bloomberg.
The weekend in Imola was not an easy weekend for the Red Bull team, but at least another race victory could be credited for the Austrian racing team. A week earlier, McLaren driver Lando Norris took victory in Miami. Because Red Bull did not seem to have everything under control in Miami, the question soon arose whether the team would be destroyed by the many changes it is currently undergoing. If Verstappen speaks for himself, that is certainly not the case.
Self-confidence is still high
At the beginning of May, it was officially announced that top designer Adrian Newey will officially step down from the team from 2025. Newey played a central role in designing the Red Bull cars that helped the team become the dominant team on the grid in recent years. With the introduction of the new regulations in 2026, the question is whether Red Bull will be able to maintain its dominant position. Verstappen does not seem to be concerned for the time being.
‘It’s quite a change. It’s really a shame that Newey is leaving the team. It would have been nice if he had remained part of what we were doing. He has been very important to us, from the start of Red Bull Racing. At a certain point you have a lot of good people in your team and you have a very strong technical department. I completely trust them for the future. So the confidence is very high and I look forward to the coming years. Of course it would have been nice to have Newey there. But ultimately you can’t stop someone who wants to take on new challenges.’
Verstappen has had no trouble staying focused amid everything that was going on within his team. ‘I’m quite a relaxed person. When I go home, I don’t think too much about Formula 1. Things that concern other teams don’t interest me at all. I focus on what I want to do within my own team. I want to shield myself as much as possible from things outside. I’m here for the results. I focus on performance and I do everything I can do,” says the Dutchman.
Plans for the future
Of course, Verstappen himself has also started thinking about his future in the sport, especially now that his team has regularly been the talk of the town. The Dutchman already has an idea of ​​what he wants to do after his Formula 1 career comes to an end. ‘I will always continue to race, but less than in Formula 1. That is so intense. I have many plans outside Formula 1. I do a lot of virtual racing on the simulator. I want to find a way to let other drivers, who do not have the money to start in go-karting, actually race, to create an opportunity for them through the virtual racing world, so that they can also do it in real life. get a chance. That’s something I’m very interested in. Everything else also depends on how much time you have. There’s plenty going on in the background.’
The reigning world champion also has an idea about the future of the sport itself. According to Verstappen, some things can be adjusted to the racing calendar. “What we are doing right now in the United States is great. Having three races in three different places works very well. What, I think, could be improved is the travel. We’re still moving around too much. It would make more sense to start in Asia, have a few back to backs there, and then go to Europe. And then from there go to America or wherever. We can still improve a few things, also with a view to sustainability.’ According to Verstappen, the question is whether the sport wants to sell as many tickets as possible or whether sustainability should prevail.
