MAX VERSTAPPEN is losing an eye-watering £1MILLION for every race he doesn’t win.
The astonishing claim has been made by Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf, who has also predicted whether Verstappen will stay put at Red Bull next season.
Formula One’s Dutch champion, who has won the last three titles, made a flying start to the campaign with some incredible victories.
Verstappen, 26, won seven of the first 10 races, having secured victory in 19 out of 23 courses in 2023.
But his last victory came in June’s Spanish Grand Prix.
And Verstappen is now without a win in his last seven races.
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His lead at the top of the championship has been cut to 59 points.
While Red Bull have also been overtaken in the Constructor’s Championship by McLaren.
And former F1 star Schumacher now claims that Verstappen’s failures are hitting him in the pocket.
The brother of seven-time champ Michael reckons Verstappen is missing out on £1m for every race he does not win.
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And that is sure to leave the superstar frustrated.
Schumacher told Sky: “It is assumed that he loses a million for every race he doesn’t win. That is unbelievable.
“Last year he was so successful and that is a lot of money that he is missing out on, in addition to the fact that things are no longer going well in sporting terms.”
Verstappen currently earns a base annual salary of £40m, with his deal expiring in 2028.
But reports claim there is a break clause which could allow a rival team to swoop.
And Schumacher predicts that Verstappen will not be at Red Bull much longer if his car continues to flag behind others.
Schumacher added: “I am of the opinion that not everything is set in stone, as far as what will happen to Verstappen in the future is concerned.
“Because I believe he has no patience and will not stay forever.”
Savage sackings in F1
THE world of F1 can be savage, with employees discarded like used tea bags.
Danish driver Kevin Magnussen was a rising star of the McLaren team when he made his debut in 2014 alongside Jensen Button.
But when he finished the season trailing in eleventh place, he was swiftly replaced by two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.
Instead of breaking the bad news to him in a face-to-face meeting, boss Ron Dennis got his assistant to send Magnussen a short and impersonal email.
Worst still, the curt message landed in Kevin’s inbox on his 23rd birthday.
Read more tales of F1’s brutal world including one boss who was labelled an ‘executioner’ and a driver dumped by a brisk TEXT.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
