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Max Verstappen has been the sole driver pulling Red Bull’s weight in the Constructors' championship since Daniel Ricciardo left the Milton Keynes-based stable. Amid Yuki Tsunoda’s inability to make the RB21 work, F1 pundit Karun Chandhok has warned Red Bull of a Michael Schumacher-like disaster in case the Dutchman leaves the team.
Verstappen's former teammate Alex Albon came out over a year ago and detailed the speculations about the Red Bull being built around the Dutchman’s driving style. Albon claimed that the car is what it is, but Verstappen's ability to handle an oversteery car with a pointy front end is like having the sensitivity turned up to 100, and that is what his teammates struggle to manage.
With the car development based on the driver's feedback, the Red Bull has a tendency of having an unstable rear end, one that only Max Verstappen is able to tame and generate pace from. Red Bull found a crucial flaw with their design last year, which they chose to ignore because Verstappen was performing with the car.
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Red Bull, over the last seven years, has had multiple mid-season driver swaps in hopes of finding a driver capable of delivering results in the second car. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda have all failed to deliver in the second Red Bull.
As Yuki Tsunoda continues to struggle, Karun Chandhok on the F1 Show podcast detailed how the concept of the Red Bull revolves around Verstappen. With rumors of the Dutchman moving away circling the paddock, Chandhok suggested that Red Bull might face a Benetton-Michael Schumacher-like disaster if Max Verstappen ends up leaving. He explained:
“All these drivers that have come through, the Gaslys and the Albons, they're all racking up results in other cars, aren't they? So there's something fundamentally that is not right in the way that car is designed or works for other drivers. It is so bespoke for Max.
“It is reminiscent of the Schumacher-Benneton days. Schumacher left and the team won one race in the next seven years, having won two world championships in a row. And that's the risk. If Max is a flight risk, that whole operation will need to rethink the way they design their cars for other people,” he added.
Max Verstappen might be giving up on 2025 F1 title amid McLaren's dominance, suggests Helmut Marko
McLaren began the 2025 F1 season with victories in the first couple of races. Max Verstappen won in Japan, followed by three consecutive victories for McLaren. In the last couple of races in Monaco and Spain, the Dutchman has failed to finish on the podium.
The Red Bull RB21 is lacking pace in comparison to the McLaren, and with the 2026 regulations on the horizon, it is unlikely for the Milton Keynes outfit to bring any major upgrades. Helmut Marko was questioned if Verstappen has slowly started giving up on the 2025 championship, to which he replied:
“That's how it is. I try to straighten it up: We don't give up, but something has to be done with the car.”
Max Verstappen is third in the championship, 49 points behind the leader, Oscar Piastri.
