“Never Say Never”: Max Verstappen’s Former Coach Gets Real on Dutchman Leaving Red Bull

Max Verstappen is rumored to leave Red Bull after this season due to dissatisfaction with the direction the team is headed. Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, is unhappy with Christian Horners’ management and wants to consider his son’s opportunities. The rumors started ever since the Bahrain Grand Prix, after Horner’s alleged private messages were leaked to the F1 community. But are these just rumors, or will Verstappen change his team?

While Max Verstappen has come forward to say that he will be sticking with Red Bull, he was vague in his sentences, and many fans didn’t buy it. However, Verstappen’s former coach was invited to the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, where he shared his thoughts on his former pupil’s position.

Bradley Scanes talks about Max Verstappen’s possible transfer

Bradley Scanes, Max Verstappen’s performance trainer, was invited to the Sky Sports F1 podcast, where he shared many details about the Dutch driver that were not known before. Along with some interesting insights, the topic of Verstappen’s possible transfer in 2025 came up. Podcast host Matt Baker tried to get to the bottom of this and he said, “A lot of rumors at the moment around Formula One and in relation to Max in his future, he’s obviously gone on record in the past and said he’s not gonna be someone who’s gonna be racing into his forties in Formula One.”

Explaining the defending world champion’s statements, Baker said, “He feels like it’s more of a kind of, “I want to dominate. I want to do short-term things” and then want to go race other categories, maybe race with his dad, there’s all sorts of things open to him. I know you’d have a crystal ball, so you might be able to say he’s gonna go to another team, but can you see him ever leaving Red Bull? And what do you think his future looks like within the sport?”

The elaborate question came with a detailed answer. Scanes replied to Baker, saying, “Max outside of Red Bull suit would be very weird, you know, he’s grown up in that team, he loves the team, he loves the mentality of the team, but you can also never say never.” The former further explained, “I think as long as they’re competitive, he’ll still be, you know, that might change because he always wants to win, and if he doesn’t see a future of winning, then that might be when things change in terms of longevity in the sport. I think you’re absolutely right.”

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The former coach decided to leave the team in 2023, and this was shocking news for all hardcore Red Bull fans. But this has not seemed to have hindered the performance of Max Verstappen. So let’s take a look at why his former coach opted for a separation from the team.

Why did Bradley Scanes leave Red Bull?

Bradley Scanes, Max Verstappen’s performance coach since 2020, left Red Bull after the conclusion of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Scanes has been an integral part of Verstappen’s team, accompanying him to every race since they started working together. Their partnership has been fruitful, with Verstappen achieving considerable success under Scanes’ guidance, including the three World Championship wins.

The decision for Scanes to leave Red Bull seems to be influenced by the expanded schedule for the 2024 F1 season, which will now have 24 rounds. This increased commitment might have been deemed too demanding for Scanes, prompting him to prioritize spending time with friends and family, as well as pursuing other projects. Despite the setback of losing his performance coach, Verstappen now remains focused on the positive aspects of the 2023 season and is showcasing dominance in the 2024 season too.

That being said, although Max Verstappen’s performance has not been hampered by much, he must be missing his coach, who grew to become his friend. Now with rumors of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull catching on, do you think he will remain in the team for next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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