Max Verstappen sat down with RacingNews365 over the weekend at the Hungaroring — this is the first part of that exclusive interview.
Many of the well-covered names who have left Red Bull since Newey in 2024 have been fellow long-term employees and linchpins of the team, such as Jonathan Wheatley and Will Courtenay. But as it continues to transition into a new era with Laurent Mekies at the helm, Verstappen remains as a cornerstone to rebuild from.
“The team, for me, is like a second family, right?” the Dutchman says. “I’ve experienced so many amazing things with the team.
“Of course, naturally there are a lot of amazing things, and of course there are moments which are probably a bit tougher.”
As such, the current campaign has not been straightforward for Red Bull. Embarking on its first season as power unit manufacturer — in collaboration with Ford — to great early success, the fledgling project immediately impressed during pre-season testing in Bahrain and has been set as the FIA’s engine benchmark for its much-discussed Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities programme (ADUO).
But the RB22 has proven difficult to grapple with. Through the opening rounds, the troublesome chassis saw Verstappen and new team-mate Isack Hadjar fighting in the lower reaches of the points.
“I think this year started out quite tough,” admits Verstappen, before adding: “But we are on an upward trend.”
The upward trend breathes new life
Since the Miami Grand Prix, things have looked more positive, if still inconsistent, as the team has slowly added downforce, balance and overall performance to the car.
Now, 11 rounds into the year, the 28-year-old has four podiums to his name, including a second-place finish at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, yet a first victory of the season remains elusive.
But whilst Red Bull is still forging its path back to the summit of Formula 1, there are signs that things are moving in the right direction.
The recent signing of Gwen Lagrue to head up the team’s junior driver programme is a significant coup, considering the success the Frenchman has enjoyed in progressing the careers of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes.