The recent history of Formula 1 has almost always seen Max Verstappen as the undisputed dominator, winning four consecutive world titles between 2021 and 2024, all at the wheel of a Red Bull. Now, judging by the start of this season, the Dutchman has won only one race out of four, and the relationship between him and the team is becoming increasingly tense.
Not by chance, on the eve of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, rumors about Max Verstappen moving to another team for next season grew stronger, precisely because of the RB21’s lack of competitiveness. Yet, within Red Bull, there are completely different opinions from someone who, with the Milton Keynes team, also won four world championships between 2010 and 2013: Sebastian Vettel.
After later stints with Ferrari and Aston Martin (a team also linked to Max Verstappen), Sebastian Vettel remains convinced that the Anglo-Austrian team can recover already during this season, allowing Verstappen to fight back against McLaren, the team currently leading both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships: “Sure, Red Bull is not particularly strong at the moment,” commented the German, who was also present in Saudi Arabia to promote women’s involvement in motorsport with his Race4Women initiative, “but if we look back at last year, they started very well and were not as strong at the end, but they still won. So I think things can obviously change.”
Knowing the reality of the team with which he made history in the sport, Vettel thus believes it is possible that Red Bull can make the necessary step not only to become more competitive, but also to challenge the reigning champions at McLaren: “It’s not so easy to fix, but overall I think Red Bull knows what they are doing. It is very likely, or even possible, that they can still turn things around.”
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