Max Verstappen, with one foot in Mercedes: more details of his team’s crisis revealed and Formula 1 trembles

The triumph of the British pilot Lando Norris (McLaren) at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix ahead of the local hero Max Verstappen, second on Sunday at the Zandvoort circuit in front of his fans The ‘Orange Tide’ has unleashed a crisis in the leader’s team.

The Briton thus won his second race of the season after the Miami GP in May, and reduces the gap to Verstappen in the world championship to 70 points with nine races remaining.

What was leaked

“I’ve been working hard all year and I’m still 70 points behind Max, so it’s pretty stupid to think about anything at the moment,” Lando Norris said after the race.

This Monday, the European media focused on the crisis that is taking place within the team. Red Bull, from which, as you read, no one is saved.

“Max Verstappen’s situation at Red Bull is creating uncertainty. After a disastrous Dutch GP, where the team showed an inexplicable drop in performance, speculation about a possible move for Verstappen to Mercedes in 2026 has intensified,” says the newspaper Marca.

And he adds: “The departure of the legendary engineer Adrian Newey at the start of the year has left Red Bull reeling, unable to maintain the level of competitiveness that brought them success in previous seasons.”

Hard complaint

“I can’t go any faster. The car doesn’t respond to my commands,” Verstappen was heard saying on the radio, so the improvements that Red Bull introduced to the Hungarian GP“which were supposed to consolidate their dominance have turned out to be a setback, unexpectedly benefiting rivals such as Mercedes and McLaren,” said the Spanish newspaper.

The media warns that the “situation becomes even more tense with the recent statements of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff who has left the door open for Verstappen to join the team in 2026. Although Wolff ruled out an immediate collaboration for 2025, he did not rule out the possibility for the future, fuelling speculation about a seismic shift in Formula 1.

Marca says Jos Verstappen, Max’s father and mentor, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation at Red Bull.

“Max knew this was going to happen. He just didn’t have a chance,” he commented after the Dutch GP.

And no one is saved, because Sergio Perez remains part of Red Bull, but the clouds over his continuity are growing darker.

“Despite a promising start to the season, with four podiums in five races, the Mexican driver has fallen into a run of disappointing results that have called into question his position within the team. In a recent press conference, Red Bull boss Christian Horner He came to Pérez’s defence in the face of mounting criticism. “Who would you put in? Who would you change him for? Why would you change him?” he replied with visible annoyance when asked about possible replacements for Pérez,” Marca said.

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