Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, has expressed doubt over Red Bull's ability to produce a championship-winning car in 2025, raising questions about the Dutchman's future with the team.
Despite Max securing his fourth consecutive drivers' title in 2024, Jos believes the team's performance issues and internal struggles could continue into the upcoming season.
"I'm a little doubtful," Jos told f1-insider.com. "Red Bull needs to build a car that is more predictable in all conditions.
"Looking at the second half of 2024, you can't be optimistic. Red Bull just hasn't managed to make the car consistently fast, so why should that be the case this year?"
The elder Verstappen pointed to the departure of legendary technical director Adrian Newey as a significant factor behind the team's struggles. "I think so," he said when asked if Newey's absence was affecting performance. "It is a fact that the car did not improve after he left the team.
"The updates no longer worked as intended."
Red Bull's commercial troubles are also mounting, with high-profile sponsors including Claro, Telcel, Intel, and Poly departing. Even Bybit, which had a $50 million-a-year deal for prominent rear wing branding, has not renewed its partnership.
These challenges come as McLaren and Ferrari both outperformed Red Bull in the 2024 constructors' championship.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner acknowledged the difficult position but noted one silver lining: "The extra wind tunnel time is the only advantage in a year when such a dramatic rule change is imminent," he told Sky Deutschland.
Max Verstappen himself recently admitted that if Red Bull starts the 2025 season with a car resembling last year's model, a fifth title would be out of reach.
Jos warned that such a scenario could prompt his son to leave the team. "Yes, anything is possible," Jos said. "He can stay at Red Bull if he sees the point in it. His goal is still to be able to win races. If he feels that this is no longer possible at Red Bull, a change is not out of the question."
With a critical season ahead, Jos Verstappen added: "One thing is certain - Red Bull has a big task ahead of it in 2025."
