Max Verstappen News: F1 champion emphasises 'loyalty' amid key Red Bull exits

Red Bull

Verstappen emphasises 'loyalty' amid key Red Bull exits

Will Max Verstappen leave Red Bull?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 16 August 2024 09:12

Max Verstappen has emphasised the importance of ‘loyalty’ at Red Bull after a series of high profile exits from the team.

The first major departure was that of design legend Adrian Newey, who has contributed to all six of Red Bull’s winning cars in the constructors’ championship.

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Whilst the team have a natural replacement in their technical director Pierre Wache, the departure of Newey is still undoubtedly a blow to the team.

In addition to the 65-year-old, Red Bull have also lost their sporting director, Jonathan Wheatley who will become Audi’s team principal.

Adrian Newey will leave Red Bull after nearly two decades with the team

Jonathan Wheatley's Red Bull departure delivered an additional blow to the championship leaders

Will Max Verstappen leave Red Bull?

These exits have only increased speculation that their star driver, Max Verstappen, could leave for a rival team.

In addition to these internal changes, Red Bull will also be developing their own powertrains from 2026, a significant challenge for the team.

In a recent interview with Formula.hu, Verstappen discussed the future at Red Bull, and emphasised the importance of ‘loyalty’ to the team.

“I think the most important thing is that you shouldn’t make decisions based on emotions, because that always backfires,” he said.

“I’m a patient person myself, I don’t worry too much about things. Of course, it means a lot and I appreciate that my relationship with the team goes back a long way.”