Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey have worked together since the Dutchman joined Red Bull (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Max Verstappen’s chief mechanic Lee Stevenson has left Red Bull while F1 car design legend Adrian Newey could follow if tempted by a mega-money offer from Aston Martin
Max Verstappen wants his Red Bull team to keep the “right people” amid the threat of more departures.
Verstappen has already lost two close allies in recent months. At the end of last year, his personal trainer Bradley Scanes announced he was leaving the Formula 1 paddock. And, just last week, head mechanic Lee Stevenson said he had left Red Bull to join another team.
Those may not be the last high-profile departures from the team. Technical director Pierre Wache is the subject of interest from Ferrari while Aston Martin have made a huge offer to convince car design legend Adrian Newey to join their project.
Verstappen’s own future has been the subject of speculation recently. Toto Wolff has made no secret of his desire to get the Dutchman to sign for Mercedes, while it is believed Aston Martin could make a play for the triple F1 champion.
The 26-year-old said “nobody” within Red Bull is afraid that he will leave any time soon, but admitted: “Two weeks back, though? Mwah, that may be. But some people also read a lot, I don’t. And I think in general that does help.
“That’s what I do try to tell people, yes, that they better not read it all for a while, certain things. And if there are any questions, anyone in the team can always call me.”
Max Verstappen has enjoyed remarkable success with Red Bull over the last three seasons and is hot favourite to secure a fourth-straight F1 title this year. In order for their success to continue, he knows the importance of keeping the key cogs of the team’s championship-dominating machine together.
He added: “Of course, it’s always about being able to keep the right people for as long as possible. That’s a constant battle because, of course, other teams want to pull that, which is normal. That happens with the other top teams as well.”
But he went on to stress that those who don’t want to be there should leave, adding: “Ultimately, you shouldn’t try to retain someone if they don’t want to be there – that has to be a natural relationship.”
Though Lawrence Stroll is understood to have made a substantial eight-figure salary offer to Newey in a bid to convince him to join Aston Martin, the Red Bull chief technical officer committed his future to his current team only last year. He will surely face questions about his future when he attends this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
