Sebastian Vettel has called on Max Verstappen and Red Bull to “stick together” as they face adversity following a successful period in F1.
Verstappen won four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024, and secured his most recent title despite Red Bull slipping back in the pecking order midway through last year's campaign.
Red Bull has not commenced the current season in the strongest fashion with rivals McLaren winning three out of the opening four rounds.
It appears Verstappen is facing an uphill battle to win a fifth F1 championship, leading to suggestions he could opt to leave Red Bull at the end of the campaign.
However, Vettel asserted the driver and team should work to form an even closer relationship amid the challenges.
“I think it's the time when you really bond. It's the time, after so many years, you are so close to each other,” Vettel told Sky F1.
“Some people left and some people came, but whether you win championships or not is happening anyways, it’s the nature of F1.
“But now is the time where you stick together and you have the chance to bounce back.”
Verstappen in 'decisive' period of F1 career
Having raced the Dutchman for several years prior to his retirement in 2022, Vettel has hailed Verstappen's growth across the last handful of seasons, labelling him as the most complete driver on the grid.
But as question marks linger over the 27-year-old's future, Vettel acknowledged it is a “decisive” period for Verstappen.
“Max has incredible talent, he has matured so much over the last couple of years. I think the way he's constructing his races now is different to the past. It's much smarter.
“The progression he's made, it’s not the lap time or total performance.
“It's more the consistency, the reliability that he's there every time. The time he's taking sometimes to do the move, waiting for when it's the right time to wait.
“He sees the race in front, the opportunities he gets. If he doesn't get the opportunity, then he's back to the aggression.
“He has very good control of himself, and that makes him the strongest at the moment in the grid.
“Mixing those two, the aggression and the experience, together with the natural speed. it's great to watch and obviously a decisive year for him.”
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