Red Bull F1 are preparing for life after Max Verstappen and they just proved it

Hamilton, Verstappen, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Red Bull are preparing for life after Max Verstappen and they just proved it

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 27 May 2026 19:45

Max Verstappen isn't great for morale right now in Formula 1.

It's not his fault. He certainly shouldn't have to pretend to like a set of regulations he deems to be the antithesis of racing, nor is it wise to pretend everything is hunky dory at Red Bull - when it clearly isn't.

That doesn't mean it isn't sad to watch. Especially after a battle like that one with Lewis Hamilton in Canada. Where you'd expect Verstappen to arrive in the media pen energised after scoring his first podium in 2026.

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But Verstappen seemed more disillusioned in Canada than when he was disqualified at the Nurburgring; what the heck, he had more of a smile when he lost the Nurburgring 24 Hours!

His downcast spirit in Canada was about more than the new cars, however, and had more to do with a decision made by his Red Bull team in qualifying. Verstappen claimed that the team ignored his request when they suggested making set-up changes to his RB22, which Verstappen wasn't convinced would work.

Verstappen eluded to it being the last time the team wouldn't listen to his advice, but it was clear the champion was incredulous, despite 24 hours earlier stating he would remain in F1.

Speaking in the media pen after the Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen once again cast doubt over his longevity by comparing F1 to more 'pure motorsports'.

He said: "60-40 [power to battery ratio] is the minimum [I’d be happy with]. I know how pure other motorsports can feel like. So then, when you come back to this, it's just, yeah, not very nice."

"I don't want to be too negative now after a race like this, but I know what it feels like to drive pure racing cars and pure overtakes, pure racing, and just natural driving.

"This is all a bit like very anti-driving, anti-racing. Yeah, and that's not what Formula 1 should be about. So, I really hope that next year we can get that 60-40 because that will naturally help everything a bit."

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It still seems rather odd that Red Bull refused to lean on the expertise of Verstappen in Canada, particularly when his input has proved so pivotal in the past.

During the second-half of the 2025 season, Verstappen emerged as a late contender for the title after his feedback on the car allowed the Red Bull engineering team to hone in on their set-up. As a result, Verstappen was able to put pressure on the McLarens and won six of the last 10 races at the end of the year.

It's clear it's Verstappen who is the difference maker at Red Bull, so why didn't they listen to him in Canada? Was this sudden decisiveness from Red Bull an attempt at redistributing power back into the team's hands.

If so, why on earth would they have to do that? If Verstappen's going to remain in F1, like he said to the media, surely Red Bull are confident enough to lean on his expertise.

But the Dutchman never said he would be staying at Red Bull, and perhaps, the debacle at the Canadian Grand Prix was the team's way of preparing for life after Verstappen. Of getting back into the rhythm of the team ruling the drivers rather than the other way around.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen