Max Verstappen issues brutal response to reporter who dared to ask him about Aston Martin move
The reigning F1 world champion was not happy after being asked to address rumours he could leave Red Bull.
Max Verstappen brutally shut down a Sky Sports Formula One legend after he asked him to address rumours he could leave Red Bull.
After just four races of the 2025 F1 season, rumours have already began to circulate that reigning world champion Verstappen could look to leave current team Red Bull next year due to fears that next season's car won't be good enough.
These rumours heated up following the team's disappointing outing at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which saw the four-time world champion finish in sixth, as Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko claimed he had concerns over Verstappen's future.
But now, Verstappen himself has broken his silence on the rumours, as be brutally shut down a question from a top Sky Sports reporter ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
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With Verstappen only winning one race of the opening four this season, while McLaren continue to dominate, concerns have been raised that Verstappen may quickly see any hopes of defending his title slip away this year.
Because of this, rumours have sprung up linking the Dutchman to several other teams who are expected to thrive next year, including Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin.
Ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend, Sky Sports commentator David Croft asked Verstappen to provide some clarification on Marko's comments during a press conference, but the world champion remained coy.
He said: "I don't know to be honest. I just keep working and keep trying to improve the car. Bahrain wasn't a great weekend for us, I think we were all disappointed with that.
"We just keep on trying to improve the car and come up with new ideas to try. Competition is tough, but that's how I go about my weeks, trying to improve the situation."
But Croft wasn't prepared to let Verstappen get away with evading the question, prompting a brutal response from the 27-year-old driver.
The commentator added: "So he's [Marko] getting the wrong end of the stick? You're not thinking of leaving Red Bull?"
To which Verstappen bluntly replied: "No, I think [you] just focus on commentating, I'll focus on driving and then you don't need to think about any other scenarios."
Fellow former world champion and current Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso also responded to the rumours when asked if he would welcome having Verstappen as his teammate.
"Yes, but it's unlikely to happen. Very unlikely," replied the Spaniard.
Topics: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Formula 1
Ben McCrum