Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies is not concerned about the possibility of Max Verstappen walking away from Formula One.

Instead, Mekies insisted the four-time F1 world champion will be much happier once the team fix the issues with their car.

Verstappen finished eighth at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, continuing his frustrating start to the season.

The 28-year-old has expressed his unhappiness at the new F1 regulations, and went as far as to hint he may well retire.

However, Mekies was adamant that there have been no discussions about Verstappen potentially leaving F1 at the end of the season.

"We are having zero discussions about those aspects," Mekies said.

"We have a lot of work to do, but I'm sure by the time we give him a fast car, he will be a much happier Max.

"By the time we give him a car that he can push and make the difference with, he will also be a happier Max. So, honestly, that's 100% of our discussions right now, is that.

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"And as per the regs, as you know, they are coming with some good aspects and more tricky aspects. And as a sport, with the other teams, we will meet in the break to see how we can tweak them to make things better."

Red Bull sit sixth in the Constructors' Championship, with their drivers having so far failed to finish on a podium this season.

Mekies added: "I think it's a combination of underlying performance. So, we need to do some more work. And a layer of us not being able to extract enough from the package and to give something Max can push with.

"And I'm not suggesting that it's set up tuning. I'm just saying there is something we are wrestling with, with that car that adds to our underlying lack of performance.

"Now, trying to solve this sort of complex issues and trying to understand complex limitations is our core business.

"So, as much as it feels bad when you are at the back of the top teams like now, that's precisely what the whole company is set up to do, to get to the bottom of complex limitations like that and nail them, bring development that can mitigate them and improve. And it feels bad now, but I have full confidence that that's exactly what our team is very good at."