After a sixth retirement in twelve races, Max Verstappen is beginning to question whether Red Bull Racing and engine suppliers Renault can turn around their season, according to the Dutchman’s father Jos Verstappen.
The younger Verstappen was running fifth at Spa-Francorchamps when he was forced to park his car at the side of the road with more mechanical issues, the fourth time this year that a power unit-related issued has ended his race.
The elder Verstappen says it is hard for his son to remain motivated throughout the difficult opening twelve races of 2017, and questions will start to be raised to whether remaining with Red Bull is the best option for his career going forward.
“Maybe this is the wrong moment to ask this question, but you do start to question everything,” said Jos Verstappen to Dutch TV channel Ziggo Sport. “I notice about Max that he’s very disappointed. It’s tough to keep yourself motivated the whole time when things are going like this.
“I mean, he’s doing very well in qualifying, he’s half a second quicker than his team mate and he’s just behind the Ferraris. And then, after seven or eight laps, he’s standing at the side of the track again. This should not be able to happen, certainly not at a top team.
“Max can’t do anything. Max isn’t doing anything wrong. People are asking that question again if Max is being too tough on his equipment. But that’s complete nonsense. He can’t overdrive, he can’t break the material. We all know what it is: it’s just the equipment that isn’t good enough.”
