F1 Pundit declares Max Verstappen ‘already saying goodbye’ to Red Bull

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos hinted that Max Verstappen might have already decided to leave Red Bull Racing.

F1 Pundit declares Max Verstappen ‘already saying goodbye’ to Red Bull

Max Verstappen and Christian Horner (via Red Bull Content Pool)

Max Verstappen has had an underwhelming start to the 2025 F1 season. The reigning world champion does not have the quickest car on the grid and faces the challenge of going up against McLaren for the title this year. There have been rumors that the Dutch driver could potentially ditch Red Bull by the end of this season. Now, former F1 driver Robert Doornbos has suggested that Verstappen has already made up his mind.

Recently, McLaren CEO Zak Brown asserted that Max Verstappen was on his way out of Red Bull to join Mercedes as early as 2026. Though, his remarks were slammed by the 27-year-old’s father Jos Verstappen. Nevertheless, this has not stopped the rumor mill from speculating whether Verstappen would really join a new team next year.

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Robert Doornbos highlighted that Max Verstappen seems to be too relaxed amid a disappointing start for Red Bull Racing. Doornbos suggested that perhaps the reigning world champion had already decided on his future and was mentally saying goodbye to the Austrian team.

I think Max Verstappen is a bit too relaxed under the whole situation. I think Max is secretly already saying goodbye to the team, in his head.

Robert Doornbos said, as reported by GPBlog

Verstappen has asserted that Red Bull has work to do if it wants to fight for the world title this year. With Red Bull Motorsport Consultant Dr. Helmut Marko accepting that the 27-year-old could leave the team if he does not get a quick car.

Max Verstappen facing second driver problem at Red Bull

The Dutch driver has not had a teammate who has been on par with him since Daniel Ricciardo in 2018. Sergio Perez raced for Milton Keynes for four seasons, yet never came close to Verstappen and was replaced by Liam Lawson this year. Two races into 2025 and Lawson has failed to impress the paddock without a single point to his name.

Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen (Via Red Bull)
Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen (Via Red Bull)

Rumors have emerged that Red Bull could replace Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda as early as the next weekend in Japan. Robert Doornbos highlighted that this serves as another problem for Max Verstappen who now faces the headache of having different teammates based on what Red Bull decides. He hinted that the Dutchman simply wants a quick car to win.

That he thinks of these second driver problems as, ‘Then it’s Lawson again and then it’s Yuki again; it will all be fine. I just want a car I can perform better with.

Robert Doornbos explained

Moreover, Max Verstappen even defended Liam Lawson’s struggles with the RB21. The reigning world champion emphasized that Lawson would be much quicker at Racing Bulls, since the Red Bull chassis remains a tough beast to drive. There are also rumors that Verstappen does not want Milton Keynes to make another driver change so early in the season.

Will Max Verstappen win the Japanese GP?

Max Verstappen showed promising pace at the season-opener in Australia. The four-time world champion found himself in contention for victory against Lando Norris despite the RB21 being slower than the McLaren car. Albeit, the Dutchman could only secure second place, it was still a positive outing for him.

Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase (via Red Bull Content Pool)
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase (via Red Bull Content Pool)

The Chinese GP was a harder weekend, Verstappen did finish second in the sprint race, ahead of the two McLarens. However, things only got worse with the Dutch driver not even being in contention for the final podium spot. Nevertheless, after a good recovery drive, he was able to finish fourth and bring some crucial points for Red Bull.

The Japanese GP will be another test of the Red Bull RB21. Max Verstappen will likely remain realistic and understand that he might not have a good shot at victory. However, the Dutchman would wait for the right opportunity to make his move during the race,

Red Bull will be hoping that the Suzuka circuit suits the RB21 better than the previous two tracks. Max Verstappen is not a driver who likes to finish second. As such, despite the pace deficit, it is likely that the four-time world champion will still try to maximize the weekend.