Have Red Bull found the 'magic button' in the RB21?

Wendlinger also believes Verstappen could eventually surpass both Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton as the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time.

Wendlinger, who raced in F1 from 1991 to 1995, reflected on Verstappen’s dominant win at Imola and backed Red Bull’s progress despite earlier doubts surrounding their upgrade package. Hetold the media team at OLBG: “I heard about the comments on Friday and Saturday that maybe Red Bull’s upgrades didn’t work as well as they expected, but then Max won the race.

"It seemed they improved the car. It seemed to be a comfortable win for him. Maybe he’s a bit lucky with safety cars, but still I think that puts them a step forward again with this upgrade.”

With the championship picture tightening after Miami, Wendlinger noted the momentum has swung back in Verstappen’s favour: “I think there are too many races to go to really judge if Verstappen can win the championship. But he’s back now in a better position than he was after Miami. He’s in a better position again now.”

Wendlinger acknowledged Oscar Piastri’s impressive season, with the Australian now a four-time race winner in 2025: “Oscar Piastri has shown great performance this year. He’s won four races and I think he’s in a very good position to be one of the successful Formula One drivers.

“On the other hand, I think Max, compared to everybody, has put the level very high. But Oscar has managed his performance very well this year.”

Wendlinger does not expect Verstappen to leave Red Bull as long as the team continues to deliver a title-contending car: “When I read the news, they say Max expects a car that can win the championship. He was a bit unhappy about the car’s performance, but he won at Suzuka and now Imola.

“It seems that the update works and brings him back into a position where he can win races and also be fast in qualifying. It’s always a matter of what you can offer him. If Red Bull can deliver a car like that, then why should he leave, as a four-time champion with the team?”

He added that the 2026 F1 regulation changes could influence Verstappen’s future, but warned against jumping ship prematurely: “Next year a new era starts again in Formula One with new chassis rules and especially new engine rules. For sure, he will have that in mind: who can offer a competitive package?

“There were rumours he’s discussing with Aston Martin. I believe if Max Verstappen arrives at a team or a new team, everybody will focus on him. There’s a reason to sign him: because they believe he can win races and a championship. So if he arrives at a new team, they will build everything around him to make him happy."

“I don’t know if it’s realistic that he goes to Aston Martin or not. Not every team is interested in him because some teams have signed drivers already for next year. I think there will be a lot of discussion in the Verstappen family about what to do next. But like I said, they were very competitive in Imola. So why should he change teams?” added the 56-year-old Austrian.

Wendlinger also highlighted the intense pressure drivers face when paired with Verstappen, noting that joining the four-time champion at Red Bull has proven a tough assignment: “There’s always a lot of pressure being Max Verstappen’s teammate in Formula 1.

"Especially when the car is not handling well or not as expected. I think it was a mistake that he turned into that corner so far outside and lost the car at turn-in. “But whether it was the wrong decision with Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson, I don’t know.

"They have all the data to analyse and make those decisions. But like I said, joining Verstappen at Red Bull is a lot of pressure and not easy. “Max is the number one there. He’s a four-time world champion. He seems to be able to drive cars fast even when they are difficult to handle. So I think for everyone else in Formula 1 at the moment, joining him at Red Bull would be a very hard job.”

Wendlinger ranked Verstappen among the all-time greats, placing him just behind Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Alain Prost, but left the door open for Verstappen to eclipse them.

He said: “The number one is Ayrton Senna. I had the pleasure to drive maybe not against him, but together with him in races," said Wendlinger

“Then Schumacher, because he was able to be successful for so many years in a row. Lewis Hamilton is third. He’s a seven-time F1 world champion, maintaining performance for such a long time. Alain Prost, I rate very highly. And the fifth? Max Verstappen.”

“Verstappen could be the greatest of all time. I think he did everything already which can make him a top driver. He is a four-time world champion, so maybe. I always rated Senna very highly. At that time in Formula One, the differences between the cars were a lot more than now.

“I remember Imola in 1993, Prost was in pole position. Senna was third on the grid, already 1.6 seconds behind. I was fifth on the grid, I think 2.5 seconds behind pole position. But still, Senna was able to do magic races, even with a car that was quite a bit slower in qualifying.

“Verstappen has done a few races the same way, the car was handling very badly, his teammates had big problems, but he was still on pace and fighting to win," added Wendlinger.