Red Bull have discovered the magic formula for Max Verstappen to beat McLaren, but there’s a problem

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen has won two races during the 2025 Formula 1 season and still trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 49 points.

The Spanish Grand Prix marked the Dutchman’s worst classification in a race since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, where he suffered a mechanical issue with three laps to go.

Red Bull have not developed the RB21 well enough over the winter, and it has left them far behind McLaren, who have a clear advantage at most circuits.

It means that Verstappen is on the back foot no matter what he does and is fighting a losing battle against Piastri and Lando Norris.

Verstappen’s camp are surprised by a ‘strange’ statement after Red Bull chief Pierre Wache admitted that the senior team could learn a thing or two from the way Racing Bulls have designed their car.

Red Bull staff believe Verstappen has set a retirement date and could leave the sport after the start of the 2026 F1 regulations. His team need to find a way of giving him a front-running car consistently.

READ MORE: Red Bull scouts lost out on perfect teammate for Max Verstappen because they didn’t pay attention to his junior races

Red Bull have discovered Max Verstappen’s formula to beat McLaren in 2025

Red Bull have discovered a ‘disadvantage’ of Verstappen over the last few seasons, realising that his exceptional skill sometimes hides some of the negative traits his car may have.

After a few weekends of struggles in Monaco and Spain, it has left Red Bull desperate to bring a ‘new update’ to fix some woes with their tyre wear.

Verstappen only ‘realised’ after the Spanish Grand Prix that competing for a special fifth consecutive crown may not be possible this season.

Now, according to Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull have found a formula to win that ‘always happens’ for Verstappen against McLaren, but there’s one problem with it.

They require certain conditions to come out on top. High-speed circuits with smooth asphalt and low tyre wear are preferable for them to reach the top step of the podium.

READ MORE: Eric Boullier fears ‘GOAT’ candidate Max Verstappen could now leave Red Bull in a ‘dangerous’ situation

Does Max Verstappen still have a chance of winning the 2025 F1 championship?

Verstappen has developed a ‘strange’ habit in 2025 and it’s one that he hasn’t had before. He’s struggling to back good results up with equally good finishes.

He has always been quite good at stringing a run of form together, but he’s yet to win back-to-back races or even score back-to-back podiums.

At the current rate, he has no chance of becoming just the second driver in Formula 1 history to win five titles in a row after Michael Schumacher.

It’s even less likely to happen as Red Bull ‘fear’ one Verstappen outcome between now and the end of the season. He could get a one-race ban for penalty points. It would likely be the final straw.