Former F1 driver discusses 'angry' Verstappen towards Red Bull and Tsunoda

In Formula 1, staying inactive is the same as moving backwards, making continuous development essential. For Max Verstappen, however, this doesn’t seem to be a problem, as the RB21 is not yet consistently at the front of the field. The Austrian team is still refining the 2025 car, but could the upgrade strategy be a source of frustration for the Dutchman?

This was the question posed to former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer on the F1 Nation podcast. Specifically, it concerned the fact that Verstappen’s teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, receives upgrades at the same points in the season as the four-time world champion—a situation that could potentially cause some discontent.

Palmer offered his thoughts on the matter: ''He has confirmed he's staying with the team for next year, so that was the first thing that actually they needed to clear up with uh with Laurent now at the helm,'' the F1 analyst began.

Before the summer break, Verstappen confirmed that he will continue racing for the Austrian team in 2026. A few weeks prior, Christian Horner was replaced as team principal, with Laurent Mekies taking over.

Max Verstappen during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Palmer on an ‘angry’ Verstappen

Is there any sign of an “angry” Verstappen over how his team manages upgrades? According to Palmer, the answer is no: ''They're not in a title push. They're not sacrificing anything on Verstappen's car apart from potentially extra spares. Verstappen isn't a driver that often needs any spares. So, I think he'd be okay with it.''

For Palmer, there is actually a positive trend to be seen after the Red Bull change of leadership. He suggested the following: ''He will see the shift in probably more of the boss's time being spent trying to understand what's going on Yuki's car, whereas before I think sometimes Christian barely knew he had a second driver in the field.''

''There will be these small shifts, but Max knows that he's the star there. He will still be the star there. And if Red Bull want to win next year, they will need to get the most out of Max because if Yuki stays, he's not going to be a championship contender next year. He could be a decent support act at best for Verstappen in the new regs.''

Read also

How Verstappen learned to not always go full throttle for every win

Is Verstappen getting a champion as a new teammate?