F1 CEO delivers Red Bull crucial Max Verstappen advice

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has stated Red Bull has to produce a "better car" for Max Verstappen to fight with, sharing his belief that the Dutchman will return the team to its former glory.

The six-time constructors' champion has fallen from its perch in the past two seasons. As the current regulations cycle has reached its end, the Milton Keynes-based squad has struggled to build Verstappen a car worthy of his talents.

Whilst he was able to secure his fourth F1 drivers' title last year, in large part due to the RB20 starting the season well before slipping back in performance relative to rival cars, the 27-year-old will almost certainly relinquish his crown to either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri, with the McLaren drivers locked in an intra-team title battle and the RB21 proving no better than its predecessor.

At 94 points adrift of Piastri and with only eight rounds remaining, Verstappen would have to pull off a feat nothing short of miraculous to win a fifth-consecutive championship.

Nonetheless, Domenicali feels the 66-time grand prix winner is still the driver who is best able to make the "difference" in F1, labelling him "phenomenal" during an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.

"Max, he's a phenomenal driver, the best driver, that, for sure, is making a difference," he begins, "And you see more today, and you appreciate that the best driver in the moment where, unfortunately, the car is not there.

"Of course, the car has a very important role in our sport, but you see him always making the difference.

"He is more mature as a person now, also with the family. He loves racing. He's always driving. But that's great."

Reflecting on his relationship with the four-time F1 drivers' champion, Domenicali reveals that whilst they do not see eye-to-eye on all matters, the two enjoy a "very strong" bond.

"The good thing with Formula 1 is there will be different personalities," he adds. "Everyone is different, so that's the good thing, and it's making a big difference in our sport.

"He’s very direct, but sometimes - and I would say from the personal point of view, I have a very strong relationship with him. I talk with him, and you explain, you understand – you may have different opinions, but you understand."

Restoring Red Bull

Red Bull has undergone significant change over the past two seasons, something that has coincided with the fall of its empire, one that peaked in 2023, when Verstappen won 19 of 22 grands prix and the team won all but one round.

Adrian Newey left last May, just before the decline began, and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley also departed to become team principal at Stake - soon to be Audi.

Those considerable losses preceded the firing of long-standing boss Christian Horner, who was relieved of his duties in July, shortly after the British Grand Prix.

Having spent two decades at the helm, as the only person to have led the team, the Briton was replaced by Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies.

Verstappen, meanwhile, has stayed. Despite flirting with his own exit, he has committed to the team for 2026, when F1 will experience a transformation of its own as a new regulations cycle dawns.

The Dutchman became the nucleus of the team through the previous era, and Domenicali maintains that will still be the case moving forward.

Whilst backing Mekies to facilitate Verstappen's place at Red Bull, the F1 boss is clear in his view on what the Frenchman must achieve.

"And I think that in this new ecosystem, I think that Red Bull has to deliver a better car for him," he explains. "Laurent will definitely work around that, 100 percent.

"It’s an ecosystem where he is the centre, and he has the possibility for him to stay focused on the job that, of course, he would like to win; he would have to be the fastest every lap.

"Now there is another way. It is not taking absolutely anything away from his value. He will help the team to be top again."