Max Verstappen has revealed that his commitment to Red Bull Racing dropped below "100 percent" during a challenging 2024 season marked by internal struggles and a dip in car performance.
Despite securing his fourth consecutive world championship, Verstappen admitted that the Christian Horner saga and an internal power struggle created doubts about his future. At one point, he even publicly threatened to leave the team if long-time mentor Dr. Helmut Marko was ousted.
"I meant it," Verstappen told De Telegraaf. "It wasn't a bluff. And they know that within the team too."
When asked if he doubted his future with Red Bull, Verstappen responded, "Well, the feeling wasn't quite 100 percent. There was a lot going on. On the other hand, I don't think that if something goes wrong, you can just say 'I'm leaving.' That's not how I am."
Verstappen also confirmed serious discussions with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff during the season, fueled in part by encouragement from his father, Jos Verstappen, who was highly critical of Red Bull's leadership.
"My father sees the bigger picture very quickly," Verstappen explained, insisting it is "nonsense" that Jos' involvement was not in his best interests. "He sees that certain things that happen have an influence on the future of me and the team. Some people from the outside may not see that."
Looking ahead to 2025, Verstappen stressed that Red Bull must fix the car's performance issues to remain competitive. "If we continue like this, I will not be champion next year," he warned. "It's that simple. And we all know that."
He highlighted specific areas requiring improvement, including the car's handling over kerbs, bumps, and slow corners. "Certain things that we could not change last year will be changed for this year," Verstappen assured.
Finally, Verstappen suggested that rival McLaren may have illegally exploited technical advantages during the 2024 season. "There were things that happened in the background which meant that we had no chance at all in certain races," he said. "I know that for sure, but no one will ever admit it."
