Red Bull have ‘great concern’ over Max Verstappen exit after early F1 season struggles

The reigning F1 drivers’ champion is third overall in this season’s standings

There is “great concern” at Red Bull over Max Verstappen’s future at the team amid their recent struggles for pace, according to team advisor Helmut Marko.

Seven days since a superb win for Verstappen in Suzuka, he found himself struggling for pace and ultimately finished in sixth position at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday

Reigning champion Verstappen is now third overall this season, eight points adrift of McLaren’s leader Lando Norris.

And Red Bull advisor Marko explained to Sky Deutschland that there has to be a worry over Verstappen’s future their struggles for performance.

“The concern is great,” Marko expressed. “As I said, improvements have to come in the near future so that he has a car with which he can win again.

“We have to create a basis with a car so that he can fight for the World Championship.

“It’s clear. We must make progress that is not expressed in points, but on the stopwatch.

“With such a performance, it won’t be anything to do with the World Championship.”

The consequences of not doing improving lap time go beyond just losing the World title, it could see Red Bull losing Verstappen.

After qualifying in seventh, Verstappen picked up minor points and was affected by a problem with the team’s overhead light system - the system that signals the driver that it is safe to leave the pit box.

Last year, it was his team principal Christopher Horner that acknowledged Verstappen could trigger an exit clause in his Red Bull contract if he is lower than third in the Drivers’ Championship “after a significant part” of this season.

Seventh placed Bahrain Grand Prix qualifier Max Verstappen (Getty Images)

“We have an agreement until 2028, so it’s down to us to deliver,” he told the media, including PlanetF1.com, at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix. “2028 is a long way away. It’s down to us to provide a race-winning car.

“Every contract has a performance [clause] element in it. We’re not going to talk about what those elements are, but as long as we provide a competitive car we know what the situation is.”

The next race of the season is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Verstappen will be hoping to channel his Suzuka win.