Former F1 driver, Gerhard Berger believes Max Verstappen has every reason to remain with Red Bull despite the team’s mixed 2026 Formula 1 campaign, pointing to the impressive progress of its in-house engine project. While Red Bull has slipped from its dominant position and battled reliability issues this season, Berger feels the long-term picture is far more encouraging than recent results suggest. The former Austrian driver made the comments while discussing Red Bull’s decision to build its own power unit from scratch. He called it one of the toughest jobs in the sport and said the team already deserves more credit than it’s getting.
“When I look at Red Bull, I see that they’ve built a completely new engine,” Berger told F1.com. “Of course they’ve brought in people from other manufacturers, but to take on the experience of Mercedes and Ferrari and be competitive in the very first year with their own engine, I actually find that incredibly impressive.”
Berger said reliability problems are frustrating, especially in a championship year. But he sees them as the normal growing pains of a brand-new engine programme rather than a fundamental flaw. The foundations, in his view, are solid. That progress, he argues, should give Verstappen enough confidence to stick around even while the team works through its current struggles.
Gerhard Berger Calls Himself a Fan of Max Verstappen
Berger feels Red Bull has taken on a massive engineering challenge and showed it can produce a competitive package quickly, and still has clear upside. For a driver like Verstappen, that long-term picture will matter more than a single mixed season. The former Ferrari and McLaren driver Gerhard Berger makes no secret of his admiration for Max Verstappen. He revealed that the four-time world champion remains the most important factor within Red Bull’s project. “I’m a fan of Max. I think he’s an exceptional driver.”
Berger believes Verstappen would be wise to maintain his trust in the team. He thinks the Dutchman can play a key role in Red Bull’s rebuild, especially now that the team is facing one of the biggest technical challenges in its history. “If Max continues to work calmly with the team and they bring a few more good people on board, then I expect that in six to twelve months they will be very, very competitive again,” said Berger.
