Jos Verstappen drops blunt 'it won't be Max Verstappen's fault' if Red Bull and the driver don't win the championship in 2025

Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, has made it clear that it won't be the driver's fault if the team misses out on championship gold in 2025. Red Bull is heading into the season on the back foot as the first preseason test has revealed that the team is working from a deficit against McLaren.

The root of the issue lies in what happened in 2024 when Red Bull ended up taking the wrong development direction. The team started the season with a bang, but as the year progressed, things continued to get worse. McLaren caught up with the team by Miami, and from that point onwards, slowly extended the advantage over the Austrian team.

It wasn't until Austin that Red Bull was able to get to the root of the issue and rectify the problems with the package, but that meant Max Verstappen was left to fend for himself in a package that was slower than what McLaren and Ferrari had to offer. While Verstappen did end up winning the championship, it's not going to be easy for him as he tries to defend his title in a car that is slower than the competition.

Talking about the driver's stay at the team, Jos Verstappen said that Max Verstappen's future at the team was never in question as the driver had committed to Red Bull already. He did, however, say that the team needs to give Max the right car because if the title is lost, it won't be the driver's fault. He told Radio Joe:

"That had been decided for a long time. We have confidence in the team and we give them our trust, but it won’t be Max’s fault if things don’t go well. They must continue to perform. They need to keep building a good car, that’s important.”

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Money won't be an issue for Max Verstappen

Early in the year, there have been reports of Max Verstappen being approached by Aston Martin with what appears to be a billion dollar contract. The rumors didn't gain much traction in the end but Helmut Marko was questioned about the driver's future with Red Bull to which the Austrian said that it came down to how good the car is that the team builds and not the money involved with it. He said (via Radio Joe):

“As in every Formula 1 contract, there are clauses if certain success quality criteria are not met. These are also included in Max’s contract. I don’t think an incomprehensible amount of money is an issue for Max."

He added:

“If we are not in a position to provide him with a car that is capable of winning…of course he’s interested in success as a racing driver. You don’t get any younger. And if he doesn’t see the light with Red Bull and these criteria come into play, then it’s quite clear that he’ll look around.”

Max Verstappen does have an uphill climb in front of him this season as the driver starts from a deficit while trying to win his 5th consecutive title.