Max Verstappen’s father Jos says his team must make changes to improve despite their latest championship success.
Red Bull experienced a downturn in form after Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races this year. Lando Norris made inroads into his championship advantage, but Verstappen struck back in the last two rounds and clinched the drivers’ championship in Las Vegas last weekend.His father Jos, who started over 100 grands prix during his career, criticised Red Bull’s leadership earlier this year when team principal Christian Horner was investigated over alleged inappropriate behaviour towards a member of staff. Horner denied the accusations and was cleared following an internal investigation.
Red Bull has also lost several senior team figures during the year including chief technical officer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and head of strategy Will Courtenay. Following his son’s championship victory last weekend, Jos Verstappen said changes are needed at the team to bring them back to their best.
“Of course, we hope that he can [win more titles], but he’s not in the fastest car, otherwise he would win all the races,” he told their official website. “Things have to improve to be competitive next year. The team knows what needs to change, so it’s up to them to get it together.”
Verstappen clinched the championship by finishing fifth in last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. He won the race 12 months ago and his father, who was not at this weekend’s race, believes he would have preferred to clinch the title in style.
“I wasn’t feeling great,” he said. “I had a bit of [flu]. So I’d rather stay away so I don’t pass it on to Max. There’s also the time difference and I’m having to do some prep for a race myself.”
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“I was nervous, I woke up at four in the morning and couldn’t sleep,” he added. “There is always that tension, but he did it. Maybe not in the way Max would’ve wanted it, but the main thing is that he did.”
Verstappen’s father named his Brazilian Grand Prix victory – his only win since the Spanish Grand Prix in June – as his best performance this year.
“Brazil was just the most amazing moment. The way he drove all the way from the back and kept clocking fastest laps in the last ten laps, that really sealed the title in my eyes.”
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miciek (@micio)
25th November 2024, 19:04
Why do we need to know what this man has to say? He is not in F1, doesn’t do anything there.
Besides, why stop here? What does Max’s mother or sister have to say about Red Bull?
pastaman
26th November 2024, 2:58
You read the article and now you’re commenting on it… that’s why.
Leo B
25th November 2024, 19:32
Jos should quietly remove himself from F1 and travel to some sunny faraway isle and there enjoy to the full each idle passing day.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
25th November 2024, 20:31
I’m beginning to side with Jos and his paranoia. Obviously, he doesn’t trust anyone in F1 including Horner and Marko and believes they are all out to get Max.
Ordinarily you’d think he’s out of his mind except for the little fact that he competed in F1 and his paranoia may be grounded in reality.
After seeing what we’ve seen with Fuel Flow Gate, Masi Gate, Budget Gate, Perez Gate, Bib Gate over the past 4 years, I think it’s only logical to be paranoid about this sport.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
26th November 2024, 1:25
he’s toxic, and drama filled. Spend enough time with people like this and you will figure them out. They are not your buddy in the trenches, he’s after himself and his son, but the way hes going about it, and how he’s vulnerable to being exploited and damaging RBR, is horrible.
Invisiblekid (@invisiblekid)
26th November 2024, 12:15
Not to mention the issue I always see is how RBR has let “just a father” get so imbedded into the team. He’s not even his manager! I don’t care who a drivers dad is, any team should not allow a non-team member get so close. It’s asking for trouble ESPECIALLY an ex driver known for opening their gob.
Family, most of the time either get in the way, or somehow disrupt the flow and day-to-day running of a very complex company in a complex world. In addition to all that, you have a lot of money and politics to deal with and knowing when to speak up and shut the bleep up is very important. Having someone who doesn’t know or care that has an unfiltered voice that you have to deal with privately and publicly is crazy.
TLDR: Jos has been given a position in the team that he never should been allowed.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
26th November 2024, 16:14
@invisiblekid
But do you think Verstappen would have done as well without Jos? What if they had paired him with Alonso or someone almost as quick? Sainz is not allowed to so much as look at a Red Bull much less drive one thanks to Jos.
Piastri, not a chance while Jos breathes.
Hamilton, that’d be funny
Alonso, keep walking
Norris, he’s smart enough not to go there
Gasly – he wouldn’t go back except as a last resort
Albon – same
Leclerc – not a chance
Bottas – maybe, they can always do the same as Perez.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th November 2024, 23:37
Verstappen would’ve done well against everyone, even alonso, obviously to do well against perez or stroll you need to destroy them, but to do well against alonso it’s just enough to beat him over the season, a win vs alonso as a team mate gives a lot more credit, and remember, even though I’m no hamilton fan, that hamilton stood up pretty well against alonso in his first season, and verstappen if anything is better than hamilton ever was.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th November 2024, 23:39
Not promoting sainz to red bull is a silly move imo, he would’ve been the perfect number 2, faster and more consistently at the front than perez without being a threat to verstappen, and now they’re stuck with perez, tsunoda or lawson, none of which can match sainz.
osnola
26th November 2024, 19:05
you seem to miss: tiregate, rearwing gate, wettires gate, engine gate , sensor gate, Hamilton gate. ……gate
Tristan
25th November 2024, 22:37
I’m sure this isn’t a joke but I can’t stop laughing… The assumption that Max is undoubtedly the best driver in the world and never makes any mistakes, is hilarious to say the least.
He’s still not really ever had any significant competitor that has the backing in and out of the garage. The closest was Sainz as he was coming up and that was closer than he’d probably care to admit.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
26th November 2024, 1:16
The fact that a guy like Russell welcomes competition, and Max doesn’t seem to have any within ‘his’ team says everything.
M2X
26th November 2024, 1:37
You should read some old interviews of Max.
He relishes competition. He doesn’t care who his teammate is, in the conviction that he is the best and will beat anyone.
Very few teammanagers want to have to run a team where they have to manage a situation like Prost/Senna, Hamilton/Alonso, Hamilton/Rosberg, Verstappen/Sainz. It brings unnecessary distractions and drama.
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 19:38
Every driver ever says they relish completion and welcome all comers, but the reality is that Max doesn’t want a great teammate. He said he’d be fine with anyone, but then he clearly blocked Alonso from going to RBR. He publicly said it wouldn’t make sense for them to sign Alonso. He stayed silent on Sainz while news swirled that because of their dads, they’d never sign him. All it would have taken was Max saying “Oh, we get along great and our dads aren’t part of the team” or something like that or 100x better, simply the team internally he’d be fine with Carlos as a teammate. They would have signed CS in a second in that situation. But Max didn’t.
Don’t get me wrong though, Max is not alone here. Hamilton never wanted tough teammates. He tried to keep Bottas as his wingman. Alonso wouldn’t want competition taking away the focus from him if it were up to him. Etc. So, Max is guilty of nothing but looking after his own interests. I think you were being a bit naive in believing Max.
Alex
26th November 2024, 1:49
The best chance to beat Max this year was in other team’s car. If Lando, Russell or Sainz were driving the other RB20 this year, they would not end up ahead of Piastri, Lewis or Leclerc in their current machinery, to say the least.
Tristan
26th November 2024, 2:11
According to who again?
Alex
26th November 2024, 2:16
Ask Lando if he would like to switch from his blistering fast McLaren to the RB of this year.
kuvemar
26th November 2024, 13:11
If they were driving “the other” RB20, you’re right.
Jents (@dejents)
26th November 2024, 11:17
hmm, did not know pcxmac, that max decides who is his teammate..
kuvemar
26th November 2024, 13:12
Why do you think Checo is still there?
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th November 2024, 23:42
Can you think of any race verstappen lost in 2021 where he had the fastest car? Bahrain was very questionable, the way he had to give up the place to hamilton, and imo merc was at least as fast.
The last 4 races the merc was way faster, there’s races he lost through no fault of his own, being hit in hungary or the tyre in baku.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th November 2024, 23:43
Silverstone I’d say they were pretty equal and hamilton was judged guilty of hitting verstappen, monza mclaren was just as competitive as red bull and merc.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th November 2024, 23:50
Checked all races, I can’t find a win thrown by verstappen in 2021, spain perhaps the cars were very close, but it was also a matter of losing strategy, and if there was a faster car it was merc that time, not red bull, I think it’s the race where verstappen’s engineer told him “hungary all over again, max”, referred to 2019 and hamilton pitting first and coming back at him with fresh tyres in the end.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
26th November 2024, 1:15
mirror mirror on the wall
Alex
26th November 2024, 2:17
Ask Lando if he would like to switch from his blistering fast McLaren to the RB of this year.
Jonathan Parkin
26th November 2024, 10:20
Max could do a Sebastian Loeb and get nine in a row (please don’t) and Jos would still have critical things to say
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th November 2024, 23:56
I don’t see that, I think he would compliment the team in that case, it’s happened before, but I think he actually has reasons to complain about red bull losing performance this season, even though if there’s someone to blame it’s exactly jos imo, for starting the horner saga and causing them to lose newey.
Kerry Maxwell (@kerrymaxwell)
26th November 2024, 20:46
I started watching F1 in 2000, and with zero knowledge of the sport, I latched onto Arrows and it’s drivers as my *favorite* team (after Ferrari). I don’t know what Pedro has been up to for many years, but I wince every time I see that his old teammate has something to say. Though I still like orange F1 cars to this day.
baasbas
26th November 2024, 21:53
Ok I did it. I cringed and clicked the article… Only to find out there is actually nothing in it. The title with the picture make you brace yourself for some outburst or ridiculous claims.. but there are none. Classic click bait.
By the way, I’m all for grilling Verstappen sr. but let’s do it for what he actually says and does.. like beating wives and stuff
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 19:42
Stop being reasonable.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th November 2024, 23:58
“I was nervous, I woke up at four in the morning and couldn’t sleep,” he added. “There is always that tension, but he did it. Maybe not in the way Max would’ve wanted it, but the main thing is that he did.”
I find this comment very silly, what tension? Will my son be able to win a title with 3 races to spare or will he do that in the sprint race in a week? Definitely not the worst tension-causing situation I’ve seen!
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 19:41
Yes. That’s pretty much rank absurdity. And if he really was, that just shows his already famous obsession with Max’s success is even unhealthier than we already thought.