James Vowles says Max Verstappen won’t get anywhere by causing a ‘fight’ within Red Bull

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Max Verstappen and Red Bull are in a messy situation in 2026 and for 2027, and James Vowles thinks the Dutchman’s criticism will not solve anything.

The four-time champion is having a hard time with the regulation changes, openly criticising them and even threatening to retire over them. He has also directed his frustration at Red Bull, who are struggling to provide a competitive package.

Verstappen unleashed his fury at Red Bull at the British GP as he suffered his second rear-wing failure in as many race weekends. The Milton Keynes outfit are now under huge pressure, as their star driver’s P7 in the standings allows him to activate his exit clause.

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James Vowles says causing a ‘fight’ at Red Bull will not help Max Verstappen

The relationship between the two parties is fractured, with rumours going around that the Dutchman’s engineers have stopped listening to him. Verstappen wants to report directly to Laurent Mekies to get his points across for the RB22.

In the meantime, he is refusing to commit to Red Bull for 2027 amid rumoured links to McLaren. Red Bull ‘baulked’ at Verstappen’s wage demands for a new contract, with his camp believing that he is worth more than the contract he signed in 2022.

The situation is messy, and Williams team principal, James Vowles, is adamant that this is not how he operates. Speaking via Up To Speed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, he says Verstappen’s criticism causes a ‘fight’ within Red Bull, which will not get him anywhere.

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

Asked if he would speak to his driver or leave them be after criticising the team, he replied: “No. In that case, I would have a discussion with them because fundamentally we’re a team and it’s not a team if you’re finger-pointing.

“And once you do that as a leader, other people below you think that’s the right way of operating. So, no, that’s not what I stand for. I mean, if we talk Max, he’s exceptional in the car. There’s no doubt about it. And he’s frustrated to Damon’s point.

“If you’re not winning, nothing else matters to you anymore in that circumstance. And his frustration is what bubbles out in that circumstance.

“But as soon as you turn it to frustration towards the team, you have basically a fight. And a fight isn’t going to make you move any further forward any quicker than where you are.”

If you were Max Verstappen, would you stay at Red Bull or move on?

Verstappen has been linked with McLaren, but could also retire or take a sabbatical

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Damon Hill hints Max Verstappen’s comments towards Red Bull are ‘not responsible’ for a driver

1996 F1 champion Damon Hill then commented on the situation, hinting that Verstappen’s actions are irresponsible: “I learned a lesson when I was with Williams, because I made some critical comments at a time when I was fairly new to the team.

“And you have to walk into the garage and see everyone who’s been working really hard for you so you have a nice car to drive and everything.

“And then you realise that you’ve been not so polite as you should have been or not so thoughtful as you should have been, and you realise it affects people and then you’ve got an awkward situation.

“So, I think just respecting that you have to take into consideration the energy and the effort and the people who work for a team, it’s not so easy for them to go and work for another team.

“You can say, ‘Okay, well, I’ve had it with this team. I’m off,’ and then leave a bad smell behind, or bad vibe. It’s not responsible, I don’t think, for drivers to do that.”