A former F1 driver has shared his thoughts on why Max Verstappen's mood seems to have changed over recent weeks and months.
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve observed after Baku that Verstappen's typical fiery demeanor appears to have faded, replaced by a more downcast mood.
"I believe he loses a million dollars for every race he doesn't win," said another ex-F1 driver, Ralf Schumacher, to Sky Deutschland, referencing the bonus incentives typically found in Red Bull contracts.
"That's an unbelievable amount," Schumacher added.
"Last year he was so successful, so that's a lot of money he's missing out on now, on top of the fact that things are no longer going well in sporting terms."
Red Bull is urgently reviewing its development steps, going back to mid-2023, to figure out how to resolve the handling issues with the 2024 car.
A major concern for the team is that although Verstappen is contracted until 2028, there are several exit clauses in his agreement, and both Mercedes and Aston Martin have already shown interest in him.
"Max has a strong connection to Red Bull and is very loyal," explained team advisor and Verstappen's mentor, Dr. Helmut Marko, to Bild newspaper. "We put our trust in him when he was 17 and gave him a cockpit. He hasn't forgotten that.
"But he won't be driving in Formula 1 like Fernando Alonso when he's over 40. That's why he wants to be as successful as possible right now."
Marko acknowledges that Verstappen, now 26, could potentially activate his exit clauses in the Red Bull contract. "Every driver's contract has performance-related exit clauses," the 81-year-old Austrian confirmed.
"It is up to us to build him a car that is so good that he cannot and does not want to activate them. In Azerbaijan we were again much closer to McLaren and Ferrari."
