Former Red Bull power unit engineer and team ambassador Calum Nicholas has shed new light on why so many of Max Verstappen’s teammates have found themselves trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of underperformance. As Red Bull prepare for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix by reinstating Yuki Tsunoda in place of Liam Lawson – after just two races – the broader pattern of Verstappen’s dominance and the struggles of his garage mates has once again come into focus.

According to Nicholas, Verstappen’s immense mental resilience is the defining factor behind his superiority – and the downfall of those tasked with matching him.

The Red Bull garage carousel

The decision to swap Lawson for Tsunoda marks another chapter in Red Bull’s revolving door of secondary drivers. Lawson, who had only just stepped into the car, found himself out of the seat after back-to-back qualifying exits as the slowest man on the grid in China. Meanwhile, Verstappen remained firmly in podium contention, widening the gap between the Dutchman and his team-mates.

This is not a new phenomenon for Red Bull. Since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from the senior team, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and, most recently, Sergio Perez have all attempted to coexist alongside Verstappen, only to fail in one way or another.

Nicholas, who has watched Verstappen develop from raw talent into a complete racer, believes the secret to Max’s dominance lies not just in his raw speed or technical brilliance, but in his unwavering mental toughness.

FIA reveals F1 teams in violation of flexi rules

 

Resilience: The Breaking Point

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Nicholas identified resilience as the core quality that sets Verstappen apart – and conversely, the quality that often unravels his teammates. “I think one of the things that Max has never worried about is someone being faster than him,” Nicholas said. “It’s resilience more than anything else. What we’ve certainly seen with Max’s teammates over the years is that they struggle with how resilient Max is”.

In a sport where margins are razor thin and psychological warfare is just as potent as mechanical upgrades, Verstappen’s ability to consistently extract performance – even when the car isn’t at its best – creates a daunting benchmark. Nicholas pointed out that for many of Verstappen’s teammates, watching him perform at the top of his game on off weekends is nothing short of demoralising.

“If you have a bad weekend where the car isn’t great, Max still gets something out of it,” he continued. “For a lot of drivers who have sat next to him in the garage, it’s really hard to see.”

RBR blame game begins, with Horner contradicting Marko

 

A downward spiral of pressure

Nicholas went on to explain how Verstappen’s mental strength often triggers a vicious cycle in the minds of his teammates. Trying to keep up with a driver as consistent and fearless as Verstappen can backfire, leading to overdriving, errors and ultimately a steady collapse in confidence.

“You’re going to overdrive the car, you’re not going to go any faster,” he said. “You’re probably going to go slower and you’re going to make mistakes, and then those mistakes put more pressure on you.”

This snowball effect has played out time and time again at Red Bull. Pierre Gasly, despite his talent and future success at AlphaTauri, crumbled under the weight of comparison. Alex Albon, another highly rated driver, similarly failed to cope with the relentless pace maintained by Verstappen. Even Sergio Perez, who came to Red Bull with a wealth of experience, struggled for consistency despite winning several races.

Audi breaks silence on V10 FIA U-Turn

 

The Verstappen standard

For Nicholas, Verstappen’s development since joining Red Bull in 2016 has been nothing short of extraordinary. He reflected on Max’s first race with the team – a sensational victory in Spain – as a pivotal moment that offered a glimpse of his immense potential.

“That first race with the team, it was so clear that there was this raw, untamed talent in Max that was going to be incredible,” Nicholas recalls.

But what has elevated Verstappen to the elite level of F1 champions is not just his speed – it’s his ability to mature, adapt and take complete control of every element of his race.

“I think what makes Max so great now is that he’s mastered all the other little things. His awareness of what else is going on in a race, his ability to control a race,” said Nicholas. “What you’ve seen with past champions is that it’s not just about one talent or one speed – they manage everything in the paddock so well.

Verstappen’s understanding of tyre management, strategic timing, race craft and even his ability to give precise feedback to his engineers have all developed to world-class standards. The result is a driver who seems to operate on a different plane, immune to the pressures that chip away at others.

“He has developed into a man who just seems untouchable,” concludes Nicholas.

FIA reveals F1 teams in violation of flexi rules

 

The psychological divide in the Red Bull garage

The Red Bull setup, heavily structured around Verstappen’s preferences, only deepens the psychological gap between him and whoever lines up in the other car. This isn’t unique in F1 – teams often build around their lead driver – but Verstappen’s ability to get the most out of the machinery makes the second seat an even tougher place to be.

Not only must his teammates contend with a car tailored to Verstappen’s aggressive style, but they must also fight a weekly comparison battle that they rarely win. When even a tenth of a second can make a huge difference, the pressure can mount quickly. Nicholas’ insights underline that it’s not just about driving skill, it’s about mindset – and Verstappen’s is as bulletproof as they come.

 

Can anyone match Max?

As Red Bull continues its driver rotation strategy, the question looms: who, if anyone, can coexist with Max Verstappen at Red Bull without succumbing to the same pressures? The team’s young drivers are immensely talented, but history suggests that Verstappen’s shadow will remain impossible to escape unless someone with a similarly unbreakable spirit emerges.

Lawson’s brief cameo was a reminder of how steep the learning curve is, while Tsunoda’s return – despite his own up-and-down journey in F1 – signals Red Bull’s ongoing search for a stable number two. Unless that driver can find a way to compartmentalise Verstappen’s dominance and focus solely on their own performance, the second seat at Red Bull may remain the most unforgiving in the sport.

Audi breaks silence on FIA U-Turn on hated 2026 F1 engines

 

The Verstappen era

As Formula One marches deeper into the 2025 season, Verstappen’s command of his domain shows no signs of loosening. With Nicholas offering a rare glimpse behind the curtain, the inner workings of Red Bull’s success – and the quiet struggles within its garage – have never been more revealing. In the end, it’s not just the car or the strategy that defines champions. It’s the mind behind the wheel – and in the case of Max Verstappen, that mind seems more unshakable than ever.

Lawson attacks Tsunoda

 

MORE F1 NEWS – Red Bull blame game begins with Horner contradicting Marko

Red Bull Racing have finally confirmed they will be ditching Liam Lawson who will return to the Racing Bulls while Yuki Tsunoda gets his shot alongside Max Verstappen. With the worst kept secret in Formula One finally out, the focus will shift towards Red Bull’s decision making process, because having to ‘sack’ a driver after just the first two racing weekends of the year, is almost without precedent.

It in fact has happened before, back in 1985 when Ferrari dismissed Rene Arnoux after just two race weekends. So how did Red Bull get to this point? Who made the decision to promote Lawson and not Tsunoda?

Given his role as the head of the Red Bull junior driver programme it would be difficult to believe Dr. Helmut Marko was not heavily involved. Although given this is a Red Bull driver recruitment debate, Christian Horner too would have significant sway, even more so than if it was merely a decision of a Racing Bull’s driver alone… READ MORE ON THIS STORY