Max Verstappen has been dealt a major blow on the eve of the Las Vegas Grand Prix after it was confirmed that three Red Bull members will leave following the 2025 F1 campaign.
The 2025 F1 campaign has been relatively tough for four-time F1 champion Verstappen, as the Dutchman trails McLaren duo Lando Norris (390 points) and Oscar Piastri (366 points) ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, as the 28-year-old has 341 points to his name.
With just three races to go – in Las Vegas, Doha and Abu Dhabi – Verstappen’s chances of securing a fifth successive F1 title are hanging in the balance, with Norris able to secure his maiden crown as early as next week’s Qatar Sprint Race.
But first, a victory for the Englishman in Vegas would put him at least 31 points clear of his rivals, with the 26-year-old securing pole position in qualifying on Saturday (November 22) while Verstappen will be second with Piastri in fifth on the grid.
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If the Brit outscores reigning champion Verstappen by at least nine points, the Red Bull man’s title defence will be officially over, as he would be too far behind his rival, with 58 points available across the Qatar and Abu Dhabi weekends.
Verstappen currently trails Norris by 49 points.
Of course, the 28-year-old will not go down without a fight and will no doubt believe that, against all odds, he can still achieve the coveted feat of winning five championships in a row.
However, the Red Bull driver has been dealt another blow ahead of the race. As reported by De Telegraaf, three key members of the manufacturer’s team are due to leave following the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.
Performance engineer Tom Hart, control engineer Michael Manning and power unit engineer David Mart are due to exit the team, while Gianpiero Lambiase will remain as another key engineer.
Mart is due to join Audi and claimed that “it feels the right time to take on a new challenge” when he spoke to De Telegraaf.
"I'll have ultimate responsibility for the engine there at the track and will mentor both drivers,” Mart said.
“Perhaps people also expected me to go to Aston Martin, since they'll be using Honda engines next year. But then it would be a similar role to what I'm doing now. And in that case, I would have preferred to stay at Red Bull, to continue working with a driver like Max."
As for Hart, his exit was reportedly unexpected, with the Brit set to join Williams, while Manning’s departure was also expected.
The trio of exits comes just months after long-time team principal Christian Horner was sacked after over 20 years with the company.
Topics: Formula 1, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris
Luke Davies