Max Verstappen's Claim of Not Winning Another Race in 2025 Comes Under Fire
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen has been called out for his statements that could potentially demotivate his team. The four-time world champion was disappointed after his P9 finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend, leading him to doubt if Red Bull would be able to win another race this season.
Red Bull is enduring a tough year, given the problems with the RB21 F1 car that seems to be compromising Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda's pace. Tsunoda confirmed at the Hungaroring that, more than the car's balance, it was the low level of traction that held him back.
The Japanese driver was knocked out of Q1 in qualifying, although he managed to get very close to Verstappen's qualifying pace. Tsunoda had to start from the pit lane after the FIA levied an engine penalty as Red Bull fitted a fifth power unit on his car, one more than the permitted limit of four.
Verstappen made it into Q3 in qualifying by a tiny margin, securing a P8 start on the grid. However, he finished the race in P9, marking his worst finish this season after the P10 he secured in Spain. Considering the current state of affairs and the gap the McLaren drivers have created in the Drivers' Standings, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko recently confirmed that Verstappen was out of the 2025 championship race.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing answers questions in the TV media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 2, 2025 in Budapest,...
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing answers questions in the TV media pen during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 2, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. MoreVerstappen, however, believes that his team could not even win a race this season if the current situation were to persist. When asked in Hungary if it was possible to win his third race this season, he said:
"No, not the way things are going right now. That's just the way it is. It's clear.
"There's nothing I can do about it. I could get angry, but that won't make the car any faster."
Verstappen is currently placed third in the Drivers' Standings with 187 points, just 15 more than George Russell's tally of 172, who is in P4.
Verstappen's comments may have highlighted the present reality at Red Bull, but Sky Sports F1 reporter Bernie Collins is not too happy with his approach. She told Sky F1:
"I don't think any driver says we're not going to win anything this year as a motivator to the team. That's pretty demotivating if I were an engineer. I think that would really hit you a little bit."
However, she acknowledged that it was a powerful way of pushing the team to overcome the technical challenges plaguing the car, especially with the arrival of Red Bull's new team principal, Laurent Mekies. Collins added:
"So, I think he's hoping that with Laurent Mekies, a very tactical guy, they can get on top of the issues that this Red Bull has had for several seasons now. Get the second driver working well, and next year, they've got this real line in the sand, a real chance to start again.
"But, they need to get on top of these fundamental issues that they've been having for a little while now. Max, I think, is just using it as a powerful way of communicating with the team, 'I am really not happy, and something needs to change in this car to make me happy'.
"That's what will hopefully drive the entire engineering force behind him to get a car that he can be more competitive with next year."
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