Max Verstappen has been Red Bull’s golden boy ever since his debut with the team at the 2016 Spanish GP, a race he went on to win and become the youngest-ever F1 race winner!
However, as his time with the team has progressed, there has been speculation about the influence Verstappen holds over the team, with him being their clear Number 1 driver. Recently, Ralf Schumacher spoke on this alleged influence, claiming that Max could actually choose his own teammate for Perez’s replacement!
Schumacher speculates Max could decide his Red Bull teammate
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has recently spoken out on the nature of the relationship between Verstappen and Red Bull, expressing the opinion that Max’s influence is so great that he even has a say in making key decisions on the team.
As to who Verstappen’s teammate may be, Schumacher states, “I could already imagine that Lando Norris will become Verstappen’s new teammate. The two seem to be good friends.”
He explained that such an influence as Verstappen allegedly holds is not unheard of in Formula 1, saying, “Assume that Verstappen will ultimately decide who will be his teammate. This is nothing unusual. This already existed with Senna, my brother [Michael Schumacher] also had this right. If a driver like Verstappen contributes so much to the team’s success, I also think it’s good to keep his back as free as possible.”
The former Grand Prix winner went on to admit his inclination to believe that Sergio Perez’s time at Red Bull has already been decided to be over and that a separation agreement has been in the works.
Max Verstappen eyeing historic Italian GP triumph
Max Verstappen has won 11 out of 13 races so far this season, averaging 26.07 points per race weekend: a statistic that should not be possible but is made possible by the existence of sprint race weekends.
Of these 11 wins, the previous 9 have been back-to-back, matching Sebastian Vettel’s record of 9 consecutive Formula 1 wins, which he set in 2013.
If Max wins at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, he will make history by becoming the first driver to win 10 races in a row in a Formula 1 season. The way Max’s form has been this season, it will not be surprising if he extends this win streak towards the end of the season!
Do you think Max can be dethroned in Italy? Who could be the frontrunner to defeat him? Comment what you think down below!
