Amid the power struggle at Red Bull, Max Verstappen's future with the World Champion Formula 1 team has been cast in doubt linking him to Mercedes, and prompting former Grand Prix winner Giancarlo Fisichella to weigh in on the matter.
A month of internal wrangles involving all the key players in the Red Bull team including team boss Christian Horner, long-time consultant Helmut Marko, Jos Verstappen and an unnamed female team member have raised many questions regarding the future of Max in the organisation.
Trouble maker in chief apparently, Jos Verstappen was seen in a long conversation with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff shortly before the 'Karting Dad' threw Horner under a bus and triggered a proper civil war within the Bullpen.
The 'bus' that Jos shoved Horner under did not crush the Spice Boy, instead, he seems to be the head honcho again with Marko lucky to keep his job, and Verstappen senior shut out of the team for obvious reasons.
As a result, a bewildered Verstappen trying to be part of both camps and making all the wrong noises. Including refusing to write off the Mercedes speculation before going on to power to dominant win number two in the mighty Red Bull RB20, looking as the best F1 car in history after two rounds which Max won with ease.
Ditching a winning team (Red Bull) for losers at the moment (Mercedes) wise for Max?
Mercedes were nowhere, make that nowhere by very far. An age in F1 terms, to be precise with, no clue how to make right their failing to understand the F1 aero rules for the past three years. In contrast RBRs Adrian Newey and his design team have nailed it time and time again.
As it stands, there are very credible media speculating that Verstappen will ditch the serial winning Red Bull team (because his Dad is not allowed in the RB paddock and garage anymore) and move to Mercedes, who are running around like a headless chicken. Unthinkable? Max is not denying it.
Speaking to OCB Scores, Fisichella said: "We don't know if Max will join Mercedes, next year or in the future. In the place where he is now with the best team and the best car – it’s a stupid move to another team.
"Anything is possible in Formula 1 and in life, you just never know. Nobody expected to see Lewis Hamilton moving from Mercedes and especially closing the deal with Ferrari. Nobody expected that.
"The salary is good at Red Bull and it could be the same or even more in Mercedes so who knows? But you know, you got a winning car, you are at the top of the world at the moment. Why, why move to another team?" questioned Fisichella.
Fisichella: Mercedes could go for a rookie like Antonelli
The Italian also shared his thoughts on who might indeed replace Hamilton to become George Russell's teammate in 2025: "There are a few names on the top of the list for me in terms of Hamilton replacements. It could be Fernando Alonso, it could be Daniel Ricciardo, or maybe Kimi Antonelli.
"They could go for a rookie like Antonelli, but I think taking an experienced driver like Fernando Alonso for one or two years is a good choice. He's still really, really quick, he's putting in some of the best performances of his career and he's got a lot of experience.
"Antonelli would have the support of George Russell who has had a few more years in Formula 1, but with Ricciardo, he has a lot of experience. He has driven for many years and is now back again if he is able to do a lot of testing and driving this year without problems, then he is a good option to take the spot at Mercedes," reckoned Fisichella.
Verstappen teammate to Russell at Mercedes?
Russell is the heir apparent to Hamilton's crown as Mercedes's number one. He paid his dues at Williams and was promoted to the German team when Valtteri Bottas was sent packing, the young Briton has ticked all the boxes to become the team leader.
The arrival of Verstappen would grenade well-laid plans of succession reckons but comes with an upside too, Fisichella: "It could be hard for George to work with Max, but it also would be good for him. In the last year he has even been faster than Hamilton at times and having another demanding teammate could help."
Finally, Hamilton's final year with Mercedes could be a painful one if the first two races of the 2024 F1 season are anything to go by, predicts the Italian: "Having agreed to swap teams at the end of the season, it is a bit strange already knowing that you will be with another team.
"It will be a bit of a distraction for Hamilton but he knows what he needs to do. He needs to concentrate race by race and put in maximum effort while having maximum concentration and that's it," explained Fisichella, who made 229 Grand Prix starts, winning three of them.
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