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F1 Insider Breaks Down Consequences For Red Bull if Max Verstappen Leaves

F1 Insider Breaks Down Consequences For Red Bull if Max Verstappen Leaves

Newsweek7 days ago
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya has revealed the consequences Red Bull Racing could face if Max Verstappen decides to part ways with the team. This comes amid rumors of the four-time world champion's strong links to the Mercedes F1 team.
Mercedes driver George Russell admitted that his contract extension discussions were on hold due to his team's ongoing talks with Verstappen. Russell's contract expires at the end of 2025, and the Briton pledged his loyalty to Mercedes, admitting he wasn't in talks with any of the teams on the grid.
Verstappen's struggles with Red Bull's RB21 have been going on for a while, which has cost him the championship lead in the season so far. The recent ousting of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reportedly contributed to the uncertainty about the team's future, especially given the beginning of a new era of regulations in 2026, when Red Bull will introduce its own power units, developed in collaboration with Ford.
Verstappen's teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, is finding it challenging to adapt to the RB21 following his promotion to Red Bull in March. He has scored 10 points in the 12 races that have gone by, and is 17th in the Drivers' Standings. Verstappen, on the other hand, is in third place with a tally of 165 points, 69 adrift of championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 04, 2025 in Northampton, England.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 04, 2025 in Northampton, England.Montoya believes Red Bull is scoring a significant number of points because of Verstappen. But when he is gone, the team will need two strong drivers to fill the gap. Speaking to AS Colombia, as quoted by Planet F1, he said:
"We don't know what's going on at Red Bull. Max will now say, 'It's going to be interesting.' We don't know.
"Max is worth as much as half to two-thirds of the entire grid, because at the moment Red Bull is a team that only scores points thanks to Max.
"If they lose Max, they will really need to invest in two drivers and try to get the same number of points with those two that Max gets on his own. I think this is what they will try."
As well as Tsunoda and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, Montoya opened up about Red Bull's junior drivers who are being trained for a future Red Bull seat. However, he claimed that none are ready to take Verstappen's place. Starting with Arvid Lindblad, he said:
"For Lindblad, who is now driving in Formula 2, the next step is a switch to Racing Bulls. I don't know if he's the solution. He should first drive for a season with Racing Bulls."
Isack Hadjar, who made his F1 debut this year with Racing Bulls, probably needs another year, according to Montoya. He added:
"I wouldn't give Hadjar a seat either. He needs to gain more confidence first. He is doing very well in his first season, but I think he needs at least one more year at Racing Bulls. A driver needs confidence and stability. At the moment his career is going well, but how many careers have we seen lost?"
With no driver capable enough to replace Verstappen yet, Red Bull could face serious consequences if he chose to part ways.
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Tadej Pogačar 'speechless' after winning fourth Tour de France

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time4 hours ago

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How Oscar Piastri's fearlessness won him the Belgian GP: ‘As brave as I dared'

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Lando Norris Reacts to Losing from Pole at Belgian Grand Prix:
Lando Norris Reacts to Losing from Pole at Belgian Grand Prix:

Newsweek

time5 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Lando Norris Reacts to Losing from Pole at Belgian Grand Prix:

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Lando Norris started the Belgian Grand Prix on pole position but lost the lead to Oscar Piastri on the opening lap. Piastri then maintained his lead throughout the race despite pitting just once, and crossed the finish line on medium tires. The race at Spa-Francorchamps was delayed by nearly an hour due to heavy rain that compromised visibility. Newsweek Sports reported that the Grand Prix faced a potential cancellation due to the rain. However, with the sun having come out after the brief spell of rain, the race began under the safety car. Piastri managed his race start well and stayed right behind Norris before finding an opportunity to overtake on the Kemmel Straight. When all cars pitted for slicks once the racing line had dried considerably, Piastri switched to the medium tires while Norris opted for the hard compound. Towards the end of the race, Piastri's mediums held up well despite Norris closing the gap to him. However, a few mistakes by Norris led him to lose crucial time. There was also Norris' pit stop, which set him back by a few seconds. Third placed Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Second placed Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren in parc ferme during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de... Third placed Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Second placed Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren in parc ferme during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 26, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. MoreNorris could have caught up with Piastri in the last four laps of the 44-lap race, but the lock-ups and Piastri's top performance meant Norris lost out on time by the time the chequered flag was waved. Addressing the lost lead to Piastri, Norris said after the race: "Yeah, I mean, Oscar just did a good job, nothing more to say. Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge and had the slipstream and got the run, so yeah, nothing to complain of. Did a better job in the beginning, and that was it. Nothing more I could do after that point, so yes, I mean, we'd love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today." When asked if a victory was in sight if he kept his run clean, Norris said: "Should have, would have, could have, so I'm not gonna — you know, Oscar deserved it. I'm sure I made a couple of mistakes, so if he drove a perfect race, I couldn't have won today. "So I'll review my things, but so happy for the team, another one-two. I think our first one-two here for many, many years, so nice to bring that back to the team. And a well-deserved result for them and for Oscar, too." Asked if he looked forward to next weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest, the Briton said: "Yes, Budapest is one of the best ones for me in terms of just what I've done there in the past years, and it's where I started my Formula One career. So yeah, always good memories and, yeah, normally one that suits me a bit better than Spa, so happy with today, slightly disappointed, but of course looking forward to next week."

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