- Max Verstappen doubts whether Fernando Alonso will join Red Bull next season
- Sergio Perez is Verstappen’s current teammate in the title-winning garage
- The Dutchman explained that it would be ‘strange’ if Alonso moved to Red Bull
Max Verstappen admitted it would be ‘strange’ if Red Bull recruited Fernando Alonso as its driver after the Spaniard was tipped for a possible move to the garage for next season.
At 42, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid, but his stellar performances at Aston Martin since joining the team last year have put him in a strong position for one of the biggest places on the grid.
Sergio Perez currently occupies the position as the Belgian’s teammate but is under pressure to perform after a difficult last season which saw him finish second in the championship but 290 points behind champion Verstappen.
The Mexican helped his cause by finishing second behind Verstappen in qualifying for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, with Alonso set to start fourth on the grid.
An outspoken Verstappen insisted he ‘doesn’t care’ which driver partners him at Red Bull, but expressed concern about bringing in a driver of Alonso’s age.
Max Verstappen admitted it would be ‘strange’ if Red Bull recruited Fernando Alonso
The 42-year-old Alonso has been linked with a possible switch to Red Bull next season
Alonso has made a big impression since joining Aston Martin after leaving Alpine last year
‘I don’t care who sits next to me. I also said that to the team,” said the three-time F1 champion The Limburger.
‘I always believe in myself and in my opinion I am the boss of everyone. But if you ask me, I would find it strange to sign a 42-year-old driver.
‘Red Bull has always had the tradition of training young drivers itself. Signing Sergio Perez was a departure from that trend, especially with a 42-year-old driver.
‘I get along well with Fernando, that’s not it. But I also look at the future of the team. Ultimately it is up to them to decide who drives where,” he added.
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s future at Red Bull is also being considered, with Mercedes looking for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, with the British star switching to Ferrari at the end of the year.
Verstappen admitted he ‘doesn’t care’ who he works with at Red Bull, despite Sergio Perez currently driving alongside him
Alonso and Verstappen have shared several podiums over the past twelve months
The Red Bull saga involving team boss Christian Horner has engulfed the team and the sport, with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff publicly stating that Verstappen could get the seat if he wants.
Commenting on the proposal to move to one of Red Bull’s rivals, Verstappen said: ‘I understand why (Wolff) is doing it – he can’t ignore me. In the past, even before Red Bull, we had discussions with Mercedes.
“Then they said, ‘You have to do this and that to be successful.’ I think I’ve now shown how it’s done. They want me in that car, I understand that.
‘Look, a few years ago there was of course more tension between us and Mercedes… Mercedes doesn’t have the fastest car at the moment. That’s really Red Bull,” he said.
