Max Verstappen disregarded Zak Brown’s statements about the growing uncertainty within Red Bull after Adrian Newey’s departure.
Newey’s departure from Red Bull caused quite a stir within the team. As a result, McLaren’s CEO made several comments about the situation. Brown initially stated that several members of the Red Bull team applied for positions in Woking after the aerodynamics genius left. Furthermore, the American claimed that Newey’s departure marked the beginning of the team’s downfall. Verstappen responded to these comments and provided clarifications.
The news of Newey’s departure from Red Bull was not entirely unexpected. However, it still surprised people. The tense relationship between Verstappen and Newey, along with increasing tensions due to recent events, is considered the main cause. Verstappen believes that Brown was trying to stir up controversy with his comment about the “domino effect.” Furthermore, the current world champion stated that the team cannot do much about such comments.
However, Verstappen acknowledged Brown’s perspective. The main reason is that many people were interested in acquiring the Red Bull team for their own benefit. However, the 26-year-old driver had no interest in such news and did not even bother to click on them to read more. Therefore, Verstappen’s explanation solidified his loyalty to the team beyond the current season.
Max Verstappen was the top candidate to replace the departing driver at Mercedes, in case he became dissatisfied with Red Bull. However, the 26-year-old driver later stated that not even a sum of “250 million dollars” would make him consider leaving Milton Keynes. Therefore, addressing the issue, Verstappen stated that there are no guarantees in life.
Furthermore, Verstappen revealed that many agreements are made in the world of Formula 1. However, in the end, it all comes down to personal satisfaction in performing your job. According to the current world champion, there are also many “human aspects” involved in surprising team changes in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen is currently at the peak of his career. Adrian Newey’s expertise has allowed the 26-year-old driver to achieve dominant victories. Therefore, the departure of the technical genius may impact Red Bull’s performance as a challenger. However, it will be interesting to see how Milton Keynes adapts without Newey in the upcoming seasons.