Who would have Max ??

[hot metal]

Max seems firmly embedded at Red Bull, gets told what he wants to hear ,paid what he wants to get paid and the team revolves around him, that`s clear.

But if by some twist in the near future Red Bull bombed & Max wanted a competitive car elsewhere, where would he go and more to the point does anyone want him ??

Horner stated some time ago that Verstappen is the hottest property in F1 and the other teams would do anything to sign him, I wonder,

To be fair to CH he has spent the entire season fighting fires lit by his number 1 driver, would any other team principle want the hassle & the upset caused to existing team member(s) ?

Just want to add, not slating Max (anymore) he`s different, he`s fast, but stands out alone .

Edited by hot metal on Thursday 9th December 22:47

[MitchT]

I had a feeling in my gut that we'll see Max driving a Ferrari at some point. Nothing tangible prompted this, the thought just arrived.

[LukeBrown66]

Until Ferrari sort their design out, he wont be going there unless it is only money he wants and I doubt that until he wins a few titles, more likely McLaren to be with his mate Lando or perhaps a newer team on the up like Aston or Alpine.

[hot metal]

I was not asking what options might be available but would any other team want the strings that are attached to signing Max,

[MitchT]

LukeBrown66 said:

Until Ferrari sort their design out, he wont be going there unless it is only money he wants and I doubt that until he wins a few titles...

I don't think he'll be there any time soon, I just think he'll be there are some point.

hot metal said:

I was not asking what options might be available but would any other team want the strings that are attached to signing Max,

If he can win championships for them, yes. I don't follow football but I have a hazy recollection of a footballer behaving quite appallingly some time ago but subsequently being signed by a top European team because he scored a lot of goals. Ultimately, top flight sport is all about money and results equals money. Behaviour, morals, manners, etc. are a distant second to results.

[HighwayStar]

hot metal said:

I was not asking what options might be available but would any other team want the strings that are attached to signing Max,

On driving talent alone, Mercedes, Ferrari, Mclaren would take him in a heartbeat but… with Max’s attitude and baggage, Jos, would and of those teams really want to deal with what they bring with them. Would TPs tap dance and defend him for all they’re worth as Horner does? Max, who does no wrong, would expect that.
Actually it would be worth seeing Max at another team for the moment RedBull’s new leading driver is punted off the track, because hard racing. What would Whinger Spice say?

[andrewcliffe]

All the teams would have him. They would then worry about how to handle him / his team.

[waynecyclist]

Not sure if Mercedes would take him

[JonChalk]

I couldn't imagine Lawrence Stroll stroking / feeding Max's ego in the same fashion.

A Gunther Steiner / Max Verstappen combo might be fun though.

[DanielSan]

There isn't a team on the grid who wouldn't have him in the car should the opportunity come up. Including Mercedes.

[wiliferus]

JonChalk said:

I couldn't imagine Lawrence Stroll stroking / feeding Max's ego in the same fashion.

A Gunther Steiner / Max Verstappen combo might be fun though.

Of course Stroll would. He’s a hard nosed businessman and would happily feed Max’s “win by any means” approach.
Stroll will be of the opinion that any media exposure is good.

[HustleRussell]

DanielSan said:

There isn't a team on the grid who wouldn't have him in the car should the opportunity come up. Including Mercedes.

Right now I agree with you, however only time will tell if Verstappen will still be a stand-out driver once Leclerc, Norris and Russell are in competitive cars.

Verstappen is very vocal in criticising Hamilton for having the best car, however he himself enjoys a car which is a tier above these others.

ETA: I feel like they will put a check on his dodgy driving when they are in a position to do so too. Verstappen's escapades are going to start looking a bit silly if he is coming back to the pits on a scooter more often than not.

Edited by HustleRussell on Friday 10th December 17:51

[JonChalk]

HustleRussell said:

DanielSan said:

There isn't a team on the grid who wouldn't have him in the car should the opportunity come up. Including Mercedes.

Right now I agree with you, however only time will tell if Verstappen will still be a stand-out driver once Leclerc, Norris and Russell are in competitive cars.

Verstappen is very vocal in criticising Hamilton for having the best car, however he himself enjoys a car which is a tier above these others.

The inverse is equally true - if he wasn't in a competitive car, how long would he be able to keep his mouth shut and not do an "Alonso"? Nobody who didn't have a truly competitive car would dare have him in a seat he would be publicly whining about. He's always been in an "almost-Mercedes / occasionally better". How would he behave in a second-a-lap slower car? How many of those are there, compared to those on Merc's pace?

[DanielSan]

JonChalk said:

The inverse is equally true - if he wasn't in a competitive car, how long would he be able to keep his mouth shut and not do an "Alonso"? Nobody who didn't have a truly competitive car would dare have him in a seat he would be publicly whining about. He's always been in an "almost-Mercedes / occasionally better". How would he behave in a second-a-lap slower car? How many of those are there, compared to those on Merc's pace?

He never really made those complaints about the Toro Tosso that I can recall. But all the drivers on the way up the ladder trying to get a seat in the fastest car very rarely criticise the car they're in for not being fast enough, the complaints more often than not come from drivers who've been in the fastest cars and are then in slower machinery. See Alonso and Kimi for examples of that.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

andrewcliffe said:

All the teams would have him. They would then worry about how to handle him / his team.

I agree and I would cite Alonso as a prime example.

[cgt2]

waynecyclist said:

Not sure if Mercedes would take him

They tried quite hard in 2015. Couldn't guarantee a race seat anytime soon (no one knew Rosberg would abruptly retire) and that was why he went to Red Bull. Had they agreed terms we very likely would have seen him as Lewis' teammate

Edited by cgt2 on Friday 10th December 22:33

[TheDeuce]

So long as max has the mega-millions of passionate fans that he has... He's welcome at any team that likes money for the team and also their brand.

The fact he's also certainly very fast, means he's welcome anywhere.

Although for the sake of his own career and perception by his fans, he couldn't possibly go anywhere other than another too team or maybe Ferrari right now.

[mattikake]

"Who would have Max ??"

A mental asylum?

[Muzzer79]

This is a weird thread

Literally any of the F1 teams would take Max - all of them, bar none.

Furthermore, there’s no tangible reason (yet) why they shouldn’t.

[hot metal]

I think Red Bull PR have been getting through the aspirin this year. Chances are there are other drivers out there who can challenge Max, we just don`t know yet. Also Lewis & Max will lose a certain advantage next season with the reg. change. I`m not sure Max will ever achieve what Hamilton has
.
Hamilton said the other day 36 year old Lewis would beat 24 year old Lewis, I believe him. Will 36 year old Max beat 24 year old Max, has he improved since he was 18? , yes, maybe but so has the car, not any wiser I would say.

The Red Bull team revolves around so much the other seat has become a poisoned chalice ,drivers dropping like flies. Can other teams operate that way, the Constructors title will definitely elude them again.

Edited by hot metal on Friday 10th December 23:35