Max Verstappen just responded to something George Russell said about McLaren amid 2025 F1 struggles

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen is struggling to keep his championship hopes alive in 2025. The Red Bull driver is falling further behind the McLarens.

The days of the Dutchman’s dominance are all but over. He has gone from winning 19 out of 22 races in 2023 to winning 11 of the last 36 Grand Prix, as Red Bull regress in performance.

The RB21 has proven to be a difficult car even for the four-time champion to drive. While Verstappen has outperformed the car, winning two races and claiming three pole positions, Red Bull’s struggles are clear to see as he has scored 165 of their 172 points thus far.

Red Bull must make the car more ‘driver-friendly’, says Gary Anderson, as Yuki Tsunoda desperately struggles to find performance. Improving the second car and scoring points with it will also benefit Verstappen, as it could make him ‘more consistent’.

New team principal Laurent Mekies has a lot of work to do to find improvements at Red Bull and salvage a strong finish. But their chances of catching McLaren look slim to none, as is the case for the rest of their rivals.

Max Verstappen issues response to George Russell’s claim that McLaren have the ‘most dominant car’

The Woking outfit have been the class of the field in 2025 as they sit 238 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. Red Bull are a further 50 points back, with Verstappen’s title chances dwindling as the weeks go by.

The 27-year-old sits 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, with arch rival George Russell 18 points behind in fourth. Verstappen and the Mercedes driver have been the closest competition to the McLarens, but do not have the machines behind them to challenge the MCL39.

Russell had commented after the Emilia Romagna GP, which was Verstappen’s last victory, that he did not know why he and the Dutchman were close to Piastri and Lando Norris. The Brit claimed that McLaren have the ‘most dominant car’ on the grid.

Speaking to The Athletic, Verstappen gave his take on that claim, stating that he is ‘hanging in there’ against Piastri and Norris, but desperate work is needed.

“It’s close but also not,” he said. “What is it? Forty points or something? It’s a lot. It’s almost two races, so a lot needs to happen for us to be in that fight. I feel like we’re just hanging in there, not really making big strides.”

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

Max Verstappen could be George Russell’s teammate as he weighs up his future options amid Mercedes interest

Verstappen ‘insists’ he wants Red Bull to return to the top, according to his closest allies. He will be desperate to see changes at the Milton Keynes outfit after Christian Horner’s surprise sacking, especially as rumours ramp up about his future.

Mercedes are pushing to sign Verstappen, but the Dutchman is not expected to move until at least 2027. He wants to gauge where the team are under the 2026 F1 regulations, but things are looking promising in Brackley.

Verstappen has been ‘spooked’ by Mercedes’ 2026 engine, as it is tipped to be the fastest under the new rules. If Red Bull cannot improve with their power unit next season, and early indications are not promising, he may look to jump ship if what is said about the Silver Arrows is true.

Russell and Kimi Antonelli are yet to sign contracts for 2026. If Verstappen does make the move to Mercedes, Russell believes Toto Wolff will retain him and drop his teammate to make way for the four-time champion.