Max Verstappen F1 future given fresh TWIST as Red Bull announce major update

Max Verstappen in Las Vegas — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Verstappen F1 future given fresh TWIST as Red Bull announce major update

It could aid Verstappen's chances of further titles

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

Saturday 4 January 2025 18:56

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has received a major boost as he looks to add more drivers' championships to his tally.

Verstappen has been the dominant force in F1 in recent seasons, scooping four titles on the bounce and brushing off his rivals with relative ease.

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The Dutchman now sits amongst some of the greatest names to have ever driven an F1 car, with just five other drivers having achieved four or more titles during their career.

These are Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost with four championships, Juan Manuel Fangio with five, and Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher with seven each.

Max Verstappen won his fourth world championship in 2024

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have won seven drivers' championships

Max Verstappen gets Red Bull boost

Verstappen has previously made it clear that he does not have ambitions to break record after record in the sport, but given he is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, there seems a good chance that he will add further championships to his tally in the future, even though he was linked away from the team in 2024 as the team suffered a slump in form.

But more titles at Red Bull is certainly something that has been boosted by an exciting revelation to come out of the team, too, with the Milton Keynes outfit claiming that they are ahead of schedule when it comes to introducing their new wind tunnel.

"With the building work and afterwards all the new machines you never know when it's coming, but we are ahead of the schedule at the moment," Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache told motorsport.com.

"We are three months ahead of the plans.

"The guys are doing a very good job, but you never know if you get any delays somewhere else. It is a big project."

Red Bull's current wind tunnel facilities are said to be outdated compared to their rivals, but their new machinery will now be ready to help with their 2027 car, if not the latter stages of their 2026 machine, according to Wache.

"It is the oldest wind tunnel in the sport. I even discussed it with Jos [Verstappen] the other day, that they already used this tunnel when he was there at Arrows," the Red Bull chief added.

"It is an old tool that we updated. There is plenty of newer stuff inside, but we have some limitations. We know those limitations and we try to work around them, but that is clearly more difficult when you are looking for a small delta.

"It is why we invest in the new tunnel. We think we can have a benefit from the new one that we don't have with the current model."

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Michael Schumacher