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On paper, Red Bull and Max Verstappen (above) enter the Belgium Grand Prix this weekend in a similar position as the last two years—with a sizable lead in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships to cushion the blow of a grid penalty to start the race.
But the air at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps feels different this time.
Verstappen and Red Bull are coming off a fifth-place finish at Budapest, the third race in a row that the Dutch driver failed to win, matching the total number of races he lost in 2023. While Verstappen overcame starting in the middle of the grid to win the last two Belgian GPs, he acknowledged the rest of the field has made up significant ground this year.
“It’s not going to be easy to recover from [the 10-place grid penalty] like the last two years,” Verstappen told reporters Thursday.
The race in Budapest was also marred by a team radio tirade from Verstappen and questions about his readiness after sim racing the night before the race.
“No mate, don’t give me that bulls*** now,” Verstappen said to his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase on the team radio last weekend. “You guys gave me this f***ing strategy, O.K.? I’m trying to rescue what’s left.”
The three-time world champion said he won’t change his approach on the team radio, and he also denied reports he’s been barred from sim racing during race weekends. However, the Hungarian GP added another chapter in a tumultuous year for Red Bull, whose reign at the top of the sport is looking more precarious by the week.
Heavy Is the Head
Verstappen isn’t leaving Red Bull. He’s under contract with the team until 2028, and while there were rumors earlier this year that Mercedes was looking to poach him to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen confirmed in June he’s staying put, at least until next year.
The same can’t be said for his teammate, Sergio Pérez, who has fallen to seventh in the drivers’ championship after finishing right behind Verstappen last year. Pérez’s inability to keep pace with his teammate has limited strategy options for Verstappen, especially after McLaren utilized both its cars to prevail last weekend.
If Pérez continues to be outperformed by the two drivers at McLaren, Red Bull could find itself losing the constructors’ championship even if Verstappen manages to take the individual crown. A second-place finish would cut Red Bull’s prize money by somewhere in the range of $10 million, while also adding to the funds of the winning team.
There is speculation Pérez may be replaced before season’s end—though the discussion of which driver is next in line is also a touchy subject in the paddock.
On top of the team’s performance, Red Bull’s turbulent year started off the track after a female employee said team principal Christian Horner displayed “inappropriate, controlling behavior.” After a team investigation dismissed the claims in February, an anonymous source leaked documents that alleged some of his actions were sexually suggestive. Horner has kept his position at Red Bull—albeit with a lower profile—while the woman was suspended by the team.
As the new Formula One regulations set for 2026 threaten a change in the sport’s hierarchy, all eyes are on Red Bull in the back half of this season as it tries to remain at the top of the podium.
