Red Bull F1 boss reveals plan to keep Max Verstappen happy

Red Bull F1 team principal Laurent Mekies has revealed his plan to keep Max Verstappen happy amid rumours he could leave the sport entirely.

Verstappen and Red Bull could only manage a best finish of eighth place at the Japanese Grand Prix, after the Dutchman was knocked out in Q2 on the Saturday.

Most concerningly of all, the Red Bull finished behind Pierre Gasly who was able to fend off his former team-mate, with the Alpine enjoying higher top speed on the straights.

While Red Bull's pace is clearly not up to scratch, Verstappen is more concerned with way he is going racing and in his post-race media claimed the new generation of cars were 'anti-racing'.

Reports from the Dutch media also state that Verstappen is 'seriously considering' F1 retirement; but his team boss has different ideas and remains confident they can keep their star driver happy.

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton to get power unit upgrade as software issue discovered

What Red Bull have to do to keep Verstappen

Speaking to media in Japan, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said: "We certainly focus on the competitive picture, that's what we do."

"We are having zero discussions about the other aspects, so we have a lot of work to do.

"I am sure that by the time we give Max a faster car, he will be a much happier Max, and by the time we give him a car he can push with and make a difference, he will also be a happier Max. Honestly, that's 100 per cent of our discussions right now.

"With the regulations, they are coming with some good aspects and some tricky aspects, and as a sport, with the other teams, we will meet in the break to see how we can tweak them to make things better."

READ MORE: George Russell job is on the line with clock ticking says insider: 'The magic is missing'

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

F1 insider claims Max Verstappen Red Bull bond is 'broken' as McLaren transfer looms large

• 1 hour ago

F1 News Today: Hamilton gets 'all-new chassis', Mercedes forced into Plan B to cover Ferrari charge

• 3 hours ago

Max Verstappen to McLaren, Sainz deal close and Checo statement - F1 Transfer Roundup

• 43 minutes ago

‘Is he retiring?’ - Max Verstappen unveils special helmet for ‘last home race’ and F1 fans panic

• Yesterday 17:45

Carlos Sainz 'negotiations in closing stages' as F1 transfer saga enters decisive phase

• 1 minute ago

Aston Martin earn praise as F1 insider reveals team tiers - 'They knew they were s***'

• 1 hour ago