(Motorsport-Total.com) – Former Formula 1 team principal Günther Steiner cannot imagine Max Verstappen moving from Red Bull to Mercedes – because from Mercedes’ perspective, there would be no reason to hire Verstappen, Steiner explained in the podcast The Red Flags.
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“Mercedes has the next superstar in Kimi Antonelli and a very good driver in George Russell. So why should they spend more money to bring Max into the team?”
He sees only one “single case” in which a Verstappen move would make sense for Mercedes: “If George leaves,” said Steiner.
From Mercedes’ perspective, such a step would be risky: “Max costs significantly more than George and could possibly unsettle Kimi. Why would you do that? In my opinion, Toto Wolff is far too smart to do something like that – especially since it would also cost significantly more,” Steiner said.
Verstappen’s presumably high salary demands could generally prevent a desire to move by the four-time Formula 1 world champion. The dilemma for Verstappen: “There are teams he could move to, but they neither have the money to pay him nor the car he wants,” Steiner explained.
Button explains: Why Verstappen has to look around
At this point, former Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button disagrees. In an interview with Sky England, he said: “There is always a way to get a driver to switch to another team. That’s why I believe Max will look for other options. I am convinced that this will already happen with a view to 2027.”
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He said he could understand Verstappen well here: “Outwardly, he often puts on a smile, but I think the situation frustrates him a lot. Many people he has worked with for years and won championships with have left the team and gone elsewhere. That must feel very strange. Within the team, he probably feels a bit alone.”
Therefore, Verstappen’s management must take action, Button said: “If they weren’t looking for alternatives, they wouldn’t be doing their job properly. And if I were his manager, of course, I would prefer to bring him to Mercedes – either alongside Kimi Antonelli or George Russell. Depending on whom the team chooses.”
Verstappen must not be timid in his current situation but must act “uncompromisingly,” Button said. “You have to act selfishly because you know you are already in a much later stage of your career.”
Video: What now, Max Verstappen?
How tricky the situation is for Verstappen and what transfer options he might have is the topic in the new Formula 1 video on the YouTube channel of Formel1.de.
Because the competition also knows about the perhaps unique chance to sign Verstappen. Former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer said in an interview with Formel1.de: “A Verstappen racing against you is the worst thing you can have. So you have to buy him just so he doesn’t race against you.”
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