The power struggle and Christian Horner scandal may have died down publicly, but there's still "a lot of unrest behind the scenes" at Red Bull.
Amid speculation Suzuka was his last outing in his role as the brand's top Austrian consultant, Dr Helmut Marko - although widely quoted throughout the weekend and most certainly present at the circuit - was suddenly missing from the celebratory post-race photo.
Adrian Newey was in the photo with Horner, but he is being linked with a big-money move to Aston Martin.
"Everyone thinks he's Horner's best friend," former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos told Ziggo Sport, "but he doesn't want to be involved in this (saga) anymore.
"What I've heard is that he won't renew his contract. And that's a big thing, because if he stops at the end of 2025, where does that leave them for the new era?"
The chaos has marred Red Bull's otherwise imperious 2024 season so far, with Mercedes' Toto Wolff admitting after the chequered flag on Sunday that Verstappen will definitely cruise to a fourth consecutive title.
"Toto has been really nice lately," Verstappen grinned, "saying a lot of nice things about me."
Indeed, Wolff is clearly trying to capitalise on the turmoil in order to secure the perfect replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton next year.
"I've learned not to listen too much to Toto's statements," Horner also smiled.
Marko, meanwhile, commented when asked about Verstappen's future: "Max will definitely drive where he has the best car, and that is clearly Red Bull Racing at the moment."
However, if Suzuka really was Marko's last race, Verstappen could be instantly free to jump ship to Mercedes. "There is still a lot of unrest behind the scenes," Doornbos insists.
"We get the tip of the iceberg through the media, but Marko is not happy with Horner and Horner is not happy with Marko."
Another former Red Bull driver, Daniil Kvyat, told Speed City Broadcasting: "I don't know whether Christian Horner or Helmut Marko is winning the power struggle." body check tags ::
