Max Verstappen’s latest ‘fun will disappear’ warning tells Red Bull exactly what they must do to avoid losing him

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull Racing will know how critical the next few weeks will be to the long-term success of the team.

Red Bull have turned a midfield Jaguar team into one of the most dominant forces in Formula 1 history since making their debut on the grid in 2005.

The entirety of their success came under the leadership of Christian Horner, but the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix will be the first time they’ve taken part in a race weekend without the 51-year-old on the pit wall.

Horner was removed by Red Bull with the team cut adrift in fourth in the constructors’ championship, and Max Verstappen’s hopes of winning a fifth consecutive title all but over.

Verstappen is widely regarded as the fastest driver in Formula 1 right now.

His victories at the Japanese Grand Prix and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this season came despite Red Bull’s 2025 F1 car, rather than because of it.

He held off Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for the entire race at Suzuka, and Piastri was furious that he didn’t block Verstappen’s move going into the first corner at Imola that ultimately won him the Grand Prix.

Verstappen has been linked with leaving Red Bull for Mercedes ahead of next season, over fears that Red Bull can no longer develop a championship-winning car.

He’s now spoken about what it takes to keep him happy, and the level Red Bull can’t afford to sink to if they want to keep hold of their prize asset.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Max Verstappen says the ‘fun will disappear’ if he has ‘no chance’ of winning races with Red Bull

Red Bull have lost several key members of personnel over the last couple of years, and that appears to be having an impact on their competitiveness.

Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall and Jonathan Wheatley have all moved on, with head of strategy Will Courtenay set to follow them out of the door shortly.

Asked in an interview with The Athletic what motivates him in Formula 1, Verstappen explained: “Working with all the incredibly talented and smart people within the team, pushing myself in the car to get the best out of it, and the competition, naturally, with all the other drivers.

“Just trying to win at the end of the day.

“And of course, if you really have no chance to win anymore and I have to drive in the midfield, then fun will disappear very quickly.

“If I’m getting upset with things, and they hear me being upset with things, it also does something with them, because they’re like, ‘Oh, Max is angry, we cannot approach him,’ or they start to also be a bit tense.

“And you have to try and be motivating, supporting, which is not always easy when you have been dominating as a team and then you’re dropping back a bit.”

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Red Bull’s 2026 Formula 1 car will almost certainly determine Max Verstappen’s future

Verstappen has a contract until the end of the 2028 season, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll spend the next three years with Red Bull.

Red Bull will be aware of Verstappen’s get-out clauses, and while he may not meet those criteria this year, it’s believed that the clauses become easier to meet the longer the deal goes on.

The most likely option is Verstappen stays at Red Bull next season, but beyond that, it’s far harder to predict the Dutchman’s future.

Every team is working hard to develop their 2026 cars now, and while many expect Mercedes’ power unit to be the strongest on the grid, until the lights go out in Australia, no one knows who will be the dominant force next year.

Red Bull have to make sure that Verstappen is in a car that is competitive enough to at least challenge for podiums.

He’s made it clear in the past that he doesn’t want to spend his entire racing career in Formula 1, and so even one season of mid-table mediocrity might be enough for him to decide to part ways with Red Bull.

Verstappen has now told Red Bull when the ‘fun’ will stop for him in F1; it’s up to new team principal Laurent Mekies to make sure the Milton Keynes-based outfit don’t slip to that level.