Verstappen has endured a frustrating start to the F1 2026 season with Red Bull, scoring just 12 points across the opening three races.
The four-time world champion has made no secret of his unhappiness with the sport’s new rules, revealing at the recent Japanese Grand Prix that he is considering his future in F1.
Verstappen suffered another blow last week when it was announced that his long-serving race engineer, GianPiero Lambiase, is to join McLaren ‘no later’ than the 2028 season.
The news of Lambiase’s exit came just days after PlanetF1.com reported that a senior member of Verstappen’s pit crew, Ole Schack, is to leave Red Bull after more than two decades with the team.
Jon Caller, Verstappen’s number-one mechanic, is also understood to have tendered his resignation just months after his twin brother Matt left Red Bull for the Audi F1 team.
Red Bull has endured a turbulent couple of years off the track with the departures of several high-profile names including Christian Horner and Adrian Newey as well as Marko.
Schumacher, the former Williams and Toyota driver, recently claimed that the team is “missing Marko as a figure to give some kind of guidance.”
Verstappen Sr has dismissed Schumacher’s claim, writing in a post to social media: “Ralf talks a lot off )sic) bulls**t.”
Verstappen Sr’s comments come after his son revealed that he remains in contact with Marko following his departure from parent company Red Bull GmbH last December.
Ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “Maybe a few less Austrian-sided jokes from Helmut, but I’m in touch with him anyway.
“Maybe not so much about details of the car, but just life. I shared so many moments with him so, of course, it will feel a little bit different in the garage, but you also have to just look ahead.
“You have to think about performance but at the same time, like I said, great relationship and we stay in touch anyway.”
Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, recently commented that Marko remains “very open and available to us” despite officially cutting ties with Red Bull.
As reported by PlanetF1.com last week, Marko, a former racing driver who won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1971, has been appointed an ambassador of the Red Bull Ring, the venue of F1’s Austrian Grand Prix.
Marko made a total of nine F1 starts for the Bonnier and BRM teams across 1971/72.
