Hakkinen saw collapse coming for Red Bull: 'Couldn't go on like this any longer'

Max Verstappen is still fighting for his fourth world title, but nothing seems guaranteed for the Dutchman anymore. In the past six Grands Prix, Verstappen and Red Bull Racing failed to win a race and competition from McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari is only increasing for now. Former Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen says this was already coming.

Speaking to Unibet, Hakkinen has words of praise for Verstappen. "Max has been an incredible talent, working hard, disciplined driver. His performance, his commitment for winning was felt like more than others," the Finn revealed. "And this year, this year has been a turning point. Not necessarily for his performance personally for himself, but to able to make the success, you need a team, you need a car, and you need your personal commitment and discipline to able to win races," the Finn added.

According to Hakkinen, the cause of this situation lies not with Verstappen, but with Red Bull Racing's top management. "In my opinion, this path to success, could no longer continue like this. This is simply because of the political situation at the team and he has no help from his teammate. All these things do not help the team and affect Verstappen."

In doing so, Hakkinen believes that the departure of master designer Adrian Newey, has had a major impact on Red Bull Racing's top team. "It cannot continue because simply would I say politics or conflicts inside in a team, help from the teammate... All these things have not been able to move the team positively forward. And that influences Max, the performance of Max," Hakkinen concluded.

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