Details of Max Verstappen's phone call with his dad Jos immediately after the Austrian Grand Prix have been revealed and Red Bull should be seriously worried.
On Sunday afternoon, McLaren once again showed off their dominance in the 2025 Formula One season by securing a comfortable 1-2 at the Red Bull Ring during the Austrian Grand Prix.
While Lando Norris took home the race win ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, Verstappen, their closest rival in the championship, had a nightmare race as he was taken out of the race by Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the very first lap.
Verstappen's crash as just the latest part of what was a disastrous week for Red Bull amid rumours that Verstappen could join rivals Mercedes next season, while Red Bull's second driver Yuki Tsunoda finished Sunday's race in last place.
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But a new report has revealed that things could be about to get worse for the F1 constructor, as details of their star driver's phone call with dad Jos Verstappen have been revealed.
While Jos is often seen on the paddock supporting his son, this was not the case in Austria last weekend as the former F1 driver was instead taking part in a rally event in Belgium.
However, while speaking with the media, he revealed that he had spoken with his son after a frustrating qualifying session that saw him finish in P7 after his final lap was ruined by a yellow flag brought out by Pierre Gasly, and it's not good news for Red Bull.
When asked by Race Express if he had been following the Austrian Grand Prix sessions prior to Sunday's race, Jos said: “I have seen a little bit of qualifying.
“I saw the last lap when he got the yellow flags, but it didn’t look fast enough.
“I already heard it on the phone, he said, ‘Yeah, it’s just not good enough.'"
Jos then went on to criticise the upgrades that Red Bull brought to Austria last weekend, comparing it to the progress that other teams have made in recent weeks.
He added: “Ferrari has brought a good update, we know that McLaren are always at the front and who else is in between?
“Mercedes is kind of in between, and I think the update that Red Bull brought doesn’t make that much of a difference.
“You can see it in Tsunoda, too; he doesn’t even reach Q2. So yeah, the speed has fallen from there.”
The comments from both Jos and Max Verstappen will be seriously concerning for Red Bull team principal Christian Horner who appears to be at serious risk of losing the four-time world champion, despite his contract running until 2028.
Topics: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Formula 1
Ben McCrum