Max Verstappen Focused on Racing Amidst Red Bull Speculation

Max Verstappen dismisses speculation about leaving focusing on improving the car and racing performance.

Max Verstappen has refused to discuss speculation about his future with Red Bull, instead focusing on his driving. “I'm just focusing on driving and don't think about any other scenarios,” he said, addressing concerns raised by team advisor Helmut Marko. Marko had expressed fears that Verstappen might leave Red Bull unless the team improves, following a disappointing sixth-place finish in Bahrain.

Verstappen emphasized his commitment to improving the car, saying, “I just keep working, keep trying to improve the car... We just keep on trying to improve the car, come up with new ideas to try on the car. That's how I go about my weeks, trying to improve the situation.” He acknowledged the Bahrain weekend was disappointing, but remained focused on progress.

Max Verstappen brushed off speculation about his future, despite being linked to teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. “A lot of people are talking about it, except me,” he said. “Like I said before, I just want to focus on my car, work with the people in the team. That's the only thing that I'm thinking about in Formula One at the moment.”

Verstappen expressed his focus on improving the car, saying, “I am happy, I am not very happy with my car. But we all want to be better, there is no secret in that. We all want to improve. I'm very relaxed.” He looks forward to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he has previously won, and hopes to turn things around for Red Bull.

“We're still trying things with the car,” Verstappen said. “Are there things that we can improve? We're constantly trying to improve the car, I guess. And that's what we'll try to do again this weekend. How much we can fix it here, I don't know.”

🚨 | Max Verstappen stole Alex Albon's phone during the Thursday Drivers' Press Conference 😅 pic.twitter.com/AbXoP6IxGi

— formularacers (@formularacers_) April 17, 2025

Fernando Alonso, Verstappen's rumored potential teammate at Aston Martin, joked about the speculation, saying it was “very good for the team.” “This says a lot about the project that we at Aston have and the future that this team has,” Alonso said. “Would I welcome Max as a teammate? Yes, but it's unlikely to happen. Very unlikely!”

Verstappen remains focused on improving his car's performance, acknowledging the gap to McLaren, who have dominated the early season. His one highlight so far in 2025 was winning the Japanese Grand Prix after taking pole in Suzuka. “It was enough to be competitive (there). It is a very narrow window,” he said. “I just go race by race. I think it will be better than Bahrain. The rest is out of my hands.”

Verstappen recognized the challenges ahead, saying, “At the moment, we are not the quickest so it is tough to fight for a championship, but it is a long road.” He reflected on last year's season, where Red Bull initially looked strong but hit a slump before recovering to win the championship. “Last year it all looked great and we know how the season ended up...”