Max Verstappen will continue to sit in the car for Red Bull in the coming year, as everyone involved has now confirmed. According to a Formula 1 insider, the conversations with Mercedes were definitely at an advanced stage.
According to Formula 1 expert Robert Doornbos, the conversations between Mercedes and Red Bull star Max Verstappen about a change “intensive”, as he confirmed to the Dutch offshoot of “Motorsport.com”.
Because: “Otherwise Mercedes would have confirmed both drivers. Toto Wolff tried everything to move Max to change. Even if Max says that it was never an issue for him, the management of course examines options.”
Doornbos had previously been convinced in a podcast that Verstappen is leaving Red Bull – for which he had to take part in the afternoon. Red Bull Motor sports director Dr. Helmut Marko had confirmed the whereabouts of the four -time world champion at the end of July exclusively towards RTL/NTV and Sport.de, a little later Max Verstappen broke his silence and confessed to his employer.
Doornbos, himself a former Formula 1 pilot, now justified himself for his statements: “I’ve been working as a TV analyst for almost twelve years. You can’t always dice the six. I was firmly convinced that it happened.”
Verstappen decision a “risk assessment”
Behind the scenes, “so much that you cannot predict. I want to explain this to the people who react aggressively on social media. I am not inventing anything – I speak to these people, I know that there are such conversations,” said the 43 -year -old, who started in the premier class in 2005 and 2006.
According to Doornbos, the experience of the past is also due to the experience of the past. “Mercedes often started in phases with a new engine regulations, such as in 2014 when switching to the hybrid engines. Basically, you have greater opportunities from a manufacturer than with a private team without long engine history. Red Bull has bought expertise – it will be shown,” said the assessment.
The fact that Verstappen now remains is not completely surprising. “In the end it is a risk assessment. How much trust do you have in a new project under new rules? If Mercedes knocks, you have to seriously check it. That is why it would have taken for something to be officially announced.”