Verstappen and Horner clearly not in agreement on the real problem at Red Bull Racing

The future of Max Verstappen was THE topic of conversation in the paddock in Saudi Arabia. Will Verstappen stay with Red Bull Racing after 2025, or will he switch to Aston Martin, Mercedes, or an entirely different team. Verstappen himself remains calm, but that certainly does not guarantee a longer stay at Red Bull.

Last week, Verstappen's future was already the main topic of conversation. Everyone had their say about a potential departure from the Austrian team by the Dutchman. Aston Martin and Mercedes were mentioned more often, while Ralf Schumacher surprised everyone naming Alpine as a potential destination as well.

According to Schumacher, the French team, with Flavio Briatore at the helm and Mercedes engines powering their car, could be a serious option for Verstappen in 2026. GPblog asked Pierre Gasly in Saudi Arabia if the team is operationally ready to compete for a world title. Gasly's answer was clear.

"Well I've said next year I can be world champion so, yeah I believe Alpine has got what it takes to fight at the front of the grid.”

What does Max Verstappen think about his future?

Verstappen himself seems not to be concerned at the moment. At the press conference, Verstappen even became slightly irritable when Sky Sports' David Croft pressed him with further questioning on the subject: "I think just focus on commentating. I'll focus on driving."

However, it wasn't just Croft's questions. Many other media wanted to know what Verstappen thought about his future, but the Dutchman revealed very little. Verstappen wants to focus on 2025, improving the RB21, and ensuring he can still compete for the world title this season.

Red Bull has more issues to deal with. In Bahrain, a crisis meeting was held, and according to Christian Horner, the correlation between the wind tunnel and the track is the biggest problem for Red Bull Racing. However, Verstappen disagrees. When asked about the wind tunnel issues, Verstappen then correctly pointed to the years when Red Bull was successful with the outdated wind tunnel.

Max Verstappen during the press conference in Saudi Arabia

Verstappen and Horner not in agreement

"That was successfully done in 2022 and 2023. Of course, with those new regulations, but it was the same wind tunnel and before that of course. In 2021 we had a fairly strong car and at the beginning of the regulations in 2014, 2015, and 2016, Red Bull also had a strong car. Just not the engine then.’’

Using the wind tunnel as an excuse, as Horner does, is a bit odd. ‘’I wouldn't pin everything on it,’’ was Verstappen's clear response to a question from GPblog. Verstappen is clearly not on the same page as Red Bull Racing's team principal.

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Horner reflects on Red Bull's issues in Bahrain: 'Just introducing solutions'

Why Verstappen and Horner are diametrically opposed when it comes to the world title fight

The real problem is not with the wind tunnel, but with the fact that the technical team has not been able to outperform McLaren with their outdated wind tunnel. And perhaps that's not surprising, with Dan Fallows, Rob Marshall, and Adrian Newey having left the team in recent years.

Verstappen knows and acknowledges that he can't always win, but every driver will always look for a way to be in the fastest car. This means that Verstappen certainly doesn't rule out a move. The question, however, is: who will have it best sorted in 2026?