Max Verstappen F1 News: Red Bull insider reveals huge PROBLEM after major team shakeup

Max Verstappen downbeat graphic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News

Red Bull insider reveals huge Max Verstappen PROBLEM after major team shakeup

Max Verstappen is entering his 10th season with Red Bull in F1

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 25 February 2025 04:00 Updated: 13:45

A Red Bull Formula 1 insider has opened up on a huge issue the team are facing due to four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Verstappen is undoubtedly the sport's dominant force at present and has been for some time now.

That was highlighted once again last season, with the Dutchman having the skill and speed to win a fourth consecutive drivers' championship without always having had the quickest car.

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Red Bull were not successful in the constructors' championship, however, with Sergio Perez struggling alongside the Dutchman.

Max Verstappen will be joined by a new team-mate in Liam Lawson for 2025

Red Bull facing Max Verstappen problem

As Verstappen's team-mate, the former VCARB driver will be taking on one of the toughest jobs in motorsport, hoping to consistently finish high up in the points without interfering with Verstappen's own championship campaign entirely.

Now, ahead of the duo's debut season as team-mates, Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas has opened up about the issue the team faces pairing drivers with Verstappen.

Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas has pinpointed a major Max Verstappen problem for the team

Speaking on the High Performance podcast with Jake Humphrey, the Red Bull mechanic said: "More than anything, it’s resilience. What we’ve seen, certainly with Max’s team-mates over the years, what they struggle with is how resilient Max is.

"You can have a bad weekend where the car’s not great and he will drag something out of it. For a lot of the drivers who have sat alongside him in the garage, it’s really hard to see.

"It’s really hard to suck up. You might go out and put a great lap in and think, ‘I’ve dragged the most out of that car’, then Max will find two-tenths on you.

"Mentally, that really takes its toll on people, through no fault of Max’s. He’s just there to go the quickest but it’s a tough one to swallow sometimes."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Formula 1 Sergio Perez Liam Lawson