Barrichello sees a deadly combination: 'Verstappen has gratitude for what the car used to produce'

It's been a challenging start to the season for the 27-year-old, with the RB21 proving to be a real handful after the first seven races of the 2025 season.

However, even with a troublesome car, Verstappen has been able to step onto the top step of the podium twice, with his most recent win at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix being a complete performance that not many expected from that car this year.

Barrichello, a former teammate of Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, sees the Dutchman enjoying himself, showing his emotions often throughout this season, which is something that has not been as common from Verstappen.

''Max Verstappen is a joyful man, he enjoys life, and you can see the emotion when he places the Red Bull on pole position," the Brazilian explained while in conversation with a betting site.

"He's getting more out of the car than what it should produce. Verstappen has gratitude for what the car used to be able to produce, which makes a good combination. For sure, he’s a driver who won’t be short of offers to join rival teams, but I don’t think that will dominate his thoughts; he’s focused on producing results now,” continued the former Ferrari driver.

Barrichello then had his say on the rumours that have been circulating regarding Verstappen's potential move away from Red Bull Racing after the 2025 season.

“You would say right now, Aston Martin is a good place to be for the future, so Max Verstappen will be thinking about that at some point," the 52-year-old said, weighing in with his thoughts on the potential move for the Dutchman.

"But, Formula 1 is a clever world, and it’s amazing how they can develop their cars. I was a pain in the arse as a driver, because when the engineer would tell me they’ve made a change to the car, I would be really critical. Now, you can appreciate that they can make machines fly past so quickly, it’s amazing,” concluded Barrichello.