Verstappen pole and barbecue boost Red Bull morale

Jul.6 (GMM)  A shock pole position and a celebratory barbecue at Christian Horner’s place have brought much-needed calm to the eye of Red Bull’s recent storm.

Over the past two weeks, Max Verstappen has found himself at the centre of intense speculation—fuelled by performance-related escape clauses in his contract and openly acknowledged conversations with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Then came a rough Friday at Silverstone, with the reigning champion branding his 2025 Red Bull “unbelievable” in a way that was far from flattering.

"I was understeering a lot but at the same time also having oversteer in places," the Dutchman said of the car’s erratic behaviour.

Team principal Horner, who has recently admitted the squad has been misled by some of its development tools, suggested that poor baseline setups have become a recurring issue.

But in the space of 24 hours, the team overhauled Verstappen’s configuration—lowering downforce and unleashing top speeds that left the rest of the grid trailing.

That sudden leap put Verstappen back on top of the timesheets. And with both McLarens starting behind him on Sunday, passing may prove difficult. “To be honest, at the minute, our DRS speed probably just about matches Max’s speed,” admitted Lando Norris.

And it wasn’t just raw speed that stunned the paddock.

“He (Verstappen) can do anything,” praised McLaren boss Andrea Stella. “He can do anything.”

Even Fernando Alonso, who recently reminded the world that he was once considered the best on the grid, acknowledged Verstappen’s brilliance. “Max is the best. He hasn't won as many times here as (Lewis) Hamilton, but I think he's the best. When he has a car that's similar to the others, you know he's going to be on pole.”

For Red Bull, Verstappen’s pole couldn’t have come at a better time. Rumours about his future have been swirling, with questions mounting over whether he might activate his exit clause and walk away before 2026.

But Dutch GP director Jan Lammers believes Verstappen’s decisions won’t be based on contracts alone.

"My view is that, for Max, only one thing is really important when making a decision,” he told De Telegraaf. “‘Will this make me happier or not?’”

Lammers doubts the 27-year-old has any interest in a high-risk move, such as the one Lewis Hamilton has taken by going to Ferrari.

“He has acquired a privileged position for himself,” Lammers explained. “I can't imagine he wants to go on some kind of adventure with a lot of question marks, then he ends up in a situation like Hamilton at Ferrari.

“I still suspect that Red Bull is the team he thinks he can win races with. That's what it's all about for him. The entire Formula 1 world, with everything that comes with it these days, is not for him.

“I think he will only make the switch to a team where he has a reasonable guarantee that he can be successful, if that chance is greater than at Red Bull at the moment.”

Ralf Schumacher agrees that leaving Red Bull—especially for Mercedes—would be a major gamble.

"Red Bull is a team built around Max, just like Mercedes was built around Hamilton, so that move is a big risk,” the former F1 driver told Sky Deutschland. “He would have to give up all the advantages he currently has at Red Bull. As a driver, as long as you feel like you're in good hands, you don't want to change.

“It's a rollercoaster of emotions for Max at the moment, because he sees that even at Mercedes, things are sometimes just so-so.”

But after a difficult stretch, Saturday’s pole gave Red Bull a much-needed morale boost.

"This pole position is good for the atmosphere," said Helmut Marko, Verstappen’s long-time mentor and Red Bull advisor.

And to cap it all off? “We're going to Horner’s for a barbecue tonight,” Marko smiled.]]>