Formula 1 News: Verstappen pole, BBQ, and relief at Red Bull
(GMM) With an unexpected pole and a barbecue at the boss’s place, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull love story could be back on track.
For the quadruple world champion, the last fortnight has been a firestorm of speculation about performance-related exit clauses and admitted talks with rival team Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff.
Then, on Friday at Silverstone, Verstappen called the handling of his troublesome 2025 car “unbelievable” – and not in the positive way.
“I was understeering a lot but at the same time also having oversteer in places,” the 27-year-old said.
Team boss Christian Horner, who several times in recent days has admitted problems with some of the team’s “tools”, says it’s become a problem that the car often hits the track with a radically incorrect setup.
Between Friday and Saturday, Red Bull revolutionized Verstappen’s setup, further trimming downforce and resulting in field-leading top speed.
The McLarens – both behind Verstappen on the British GP grid – may struggle to pass on Sunday. “To be honest, at the minute, our DRS speed probably just about matches Max’s speed,” said Lando Norris.
But it was not just about setup.
“He can do anything,” McLaren team boss Andrea Stella gushed after watching Verstappen’s pole lap. “He can do anything.”
Even Fernando Alonso, who just a couple of days ago insisted he used to be “the best” on the grid, said when asked about the 27-year-old Dutchman: “Max is the best.
“He hasn’t won as many times here as (Lewis) Hamilton, but I think he’s the best. When he has a car that’s similar to the others, you know he’s going to be on pole.”
The against-the-odds pole will brighten both Verstappen and Red Bull’s moods amid the swirling rumors about the quadruple world champion’s next move.
“My view is that, for Max, only one thing is really important when making a decision,” Dutch GP boss Jan Lammers told De Telegraaf newspaper on Saturday.
“‘Will this make me happier or not?'”
Lammers doubts Verstappen is looking for a Hamilton-style ‘adventure’.
“He has acquired a privileged position for himself,” he said. “I can’t imagine he wants to go on some kind of adventure with a lot of question marks, then he ends up in a situation like Hamilton at Ferrari.
“I still suspect that Red Bull is the team he thinks he can win races with. That’s what it’s all about for him. The entire Formula 1 world, with everything that comes with it these days, is not for him.
“I think he will only make the switch to a team where he has a reasonable guarantee that he can be successful, if that chance is greater than at Red Bull at the moment,” Lammers added.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher admits leaping to Mercedes would be a “big risk” for Hamilton.
“Red Bull is a team built around Max, just like Mercedes was built around Hamilton, so that move is a big risk,” he told Sky Deutschland.
“He would have to give up all the advantages he currently has at Red Bull. As a driver, as long as you feel like you’re in good hands, you don’t want to change.
“It’s a rollercoaster of emotions for Max at the moment, because he sees that even at Mercedes, things are sometimes just so-so.”
For Red Bull advisor and Verstappen’s long-time mentor Dr Helmut Marko, pole at Silverstone was a palpable relief.
“This pole position is good for the atmosphere,” he admitted.
“We’re going to Horner’s for a barbecue tonight,” the 82-year-old smiled.
