"Mentally it really takes its toll on people around him": Red Bull personnel on why Max Verstappen's teammates end up crumbling around him

Calum Nicholas stated that Max Verstappen's teammates often struggle to grapple with the Dutchman's ability to extract performance in drastic situations. He added that seeing Verstappen push full throttle takes a mental toll on his teammates.

Verstappen, who made his debut with Red Bull in 2016, has grown into a four-time world champion. He won his first title in 2021 and went on to win four back-to-back titles to set a new era of dominance.

However, in his decade-long career, the Dutchman has raced with many teammates. From Daniel Ricciardo to Pierre Gasly to Sergio Perez, many drivers had a go-ahead with Verstappen but eventually got sacked due to unsatisfactory performances.

In the latest podcast appearance with High Performance, Red Bull technician Nicholas opened up about the kind of pressure Verstappen's teammates have to deal with.

"What we’ve seen, certainly with Max’s teammates over the years, is what they struggle with is how resilient Max is. You can have a bad weekend where the car’s not great, and he will drag something out of it. For a lot of the drivers who have sat alongside him in the garage, it’s really hard to see," Nicholas said.

"You might go out and put in a great lap and think, ‘I’ve dragged the most out of that car,’ then Max will find two-tenths on you. Mentally, that really takes its toll on people, through no fault of Max’s," he added.

Max Verstappen, for the most part of his career, has dominated his teammates in Red Bull. Sergio Perez, for instance, fell more than 200 points short in his championship race last season.

Perez, eventually, got replaced by rookie Liam Lawson for the 2025 F1 season. Previously, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were also sacked from Red Bull for similar reasons.

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Christian Horner speaks out on Aston Martin's alleged offer to Max Verstappen

Christian Horner [L] Max Verstappen [R] (Image Source: Getty)

Despite Max Verstappen's contract with Red Bull extending until 2028, rivals on the grid have reportedly made attempts to poach him. In a rumor that floated on the market last season, Aston Martin reportedly offered Verstappen a $1 billion deal.

However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has indirectly dismissed the rumors. He said, via Planet F1:

"Every team is going to show interest in him because he is the exceptional talent that we all know, so you can only imagine he would be at the top of every team’s list. There was a lot of noise. And usually, when the noise is so public, it tends to be [less believable]. The serious stuff is usually done behind the scenes, not through the media."

Max Verstappen was also linked to Mercedes, but he opted to honor his loyalty to Red Bull and rejected the speculations.