Max Verstappen, the race winner, dealt a blow to Toto Wolff’s aspirations to lure him to Mercedes. Verstappen asserts that his current team, Red Bull, currently has the superior car. Despite rumors of his departure from the team, Verstappen’s dominance in the current season continues. Allegations of inappropriate behavior against Red Bull boss Christian Horner have been clarified, but Max’s father, Jos, believes his presence could cause division within the team. Wolff, who wants Verstappen as his top choice to replace Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, has been monitoring the situation from afar. Verstappen, while acknowledging the tension of his title fight in 2021, downplayed the possibility of moving to Mercedes. Meanwhile, Mercedes has faced issues with their revamped W15 car and currently sits in fourth place in the championship. Verstappen acknowledges Mercedes’ interest in him, but believes he should stay at Red Bull, especially because they currently have the fastest car on the track.
Verstappen maintains a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but his teammate for the upcoming season is still undecided, as Sergio Perez’s current agreement expires at the end of 2024. Fernando Alonso had been suggested as a potential option to form an exciting duo with Verstappen, but the Spaniard recently renewed his contract with Aston Martin. Despite the speculations, Verstappen denied any involvement in preventing Alonso from being hired as his partner. “It doesn’t matter to me who my teammate is,” Verstappen stated. “I have always had confidence in myself and believe I am the best among all.” However, Verstappen expressed his reservations about hiring a 42-year-old driver, as this goes against Red Bull’s tradition of nurturing young talents. “The hiring of Sergio Perez already deviates from that tradition, and now, with a 42-year-old driver, it would be even more unusual.” Verstappen made it clear that he has a good relationship with Alonso, but emphasized that the final decision on the team formation lies with the management.
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