Max Verstappen says it would be “strange” for his Red Bull team to have Fernando Alonso as a teammate.
This option has become more serious in recent weeks. Despite turning 43 later this year, Alonso appears to be in contention for the most sensible spots in 2025, given his strong performances since joining Aston Martin.
Mercedes definitely has a seat available for the Spaniard to race for, but in reality it would prefer a Red Bull car that could give him the chance to fight for a first driver name since 2006.
The seat still belongs to Sergio Perez and it’s up to him to lose it. But if Red Bull makes the decision to make a change, it looks like Alonso is a real contender: Verstappen is baffled about it.
Speaking to De Limburger, he was asked about the possibility of joining through Spanish next year. In response, he warned that his Red Bull team deserves younger, longer-term options.
Verstappen said: “I don’t care who is sitting next to me. I told the team that too. I’m still myself and in my opinion I’m everyone’s boss. But if you ask me, I’d find it odd. ” to hire a 42-year-old pilot.
“Red Bull has had a culture of educating the young drivers themselves. The signing of Sergio Perez was a break with that trend, especially for a 42-year-old rider. I can get along with Fernando, it’s not that. But me. “”I’m also looking for the long-term team. Ultimately, it’s up to them to figure out who’s driving and where. “
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Verstappen himself has been linked with a move elsewhere in recent weeks, insisting he plans to terminate his contract which runs until the end of 2028. Regardless, Toto Wolff did everything he could to convince the 26-year-old to start. He broke down in his career at Mercedes.
He also asked about the possibility of joining the Silver Arrows, but pointed to the fact that there are disagreements between them dating back to his 2021 name fight with Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen added: “I understand why [Wolff] is doing it; Don’t forget about me. In the past, even before Red Bull, we had conversations with Mercedes.
“Then they said, ‘You have to do this and that to be successful. ‘I think I’ve now shown how this deserves to be done. They need me to be in this car, I get it. Listen, in a few years it was said a while ago: “Of course, there will be a little more tension between us and Mercedes. . . Mercedes doesn’t have the fastest car at the moment. It’s the Red Bull. “
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