Max Verstappen says he’s feeling “pretty fixed” at Red Bull and insists it’s “where I want to be” despite the turmoil surrounding the team’s management and speculation that the Dutchman could leave the championship winning outfit.
Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, but it has been suggested that a potential escape route exists for the three-time world champion if Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko were to depart the team.
Marko's position came under scrutiny during the chaotic Jeddah Grand Prix weekend where clear battle lines emerged inside Red Bull between team boss Christian Horner and the Verstappen/Marko clan.
But despite the internal tension, Verstappen reaffirmed his desire to stay, suggesting a preference for stability and continuity with the team that has supported him throughout his remarkable rise and success in F1.
“I think there’s every reason to be happy,” the Dutchman told F1 TV. “The car is going really well. There’s so many great people in the team that are constantly pushing for better results.
“That’s what I focus on. I focus on the performance, I’m happy, and when I go home I don’t think about any other thing because it’s pretty fixed where I am. And that’s also where I want to be.”
Verstappen blitzed the field in the first two races of the season, in Bahrain and in Jeddah, and there appears to be little reason for Red Bull’s dominance to wane anytime soon.
But strength on the track is matched by a positive working atmosphere inside the team according to Verstappen.
“In the car [there’s] just a good balance,” he added. “But I think also as a team, we operated really well without too many mistakes.
“So I’m of course very happy with that. and I hope that we can continue that way. We tried to keep on learning what we can do better, but it’s been very positive.”
Sergio Perez echoed his teammate’s comments regarding the strong unity and dynamic that subsists inside Red Bull.
“I think the team is in a very strong position because with the results we’re currently having, the harmony there is in the team,” said the Mexican. “I think to achieve that, it just takes a lot of years, probably.
“Right now the dynamics, everyone in the team is working really well together, the whole engineering group is really united. And you can see that on track and how efficient we’ve been in the last year.
“So I don’t see any reason to change it and it would obviously be a blow for the team if Max were to leave.”
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Perez also assured that that there is “a lot more to come” from his side of the garage as he aims to narrow the gap with Verstappen in both qualifying and race conditions.
“I think we’re in a much better place in terms of understanding,” he commented. “I think when the weekend isn’t going your way, getting back and understanding what things worked for us and what doesn’t, I think we’re a lot better in that regard.
“We’ve been exploring a lot, especially towards the end of last year, we were exploring so much with the set-up of the car and we got to a point where I think right now we really know which direction, which set-ups work for us. I think we’re in a much better position.
“Also, we’re starting the weekend a lot better, we’re making a lot more progress during the weekend, so overall I feel a lot more together with the car, with the team for the rest of the year, compared to last year.”
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