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With the 2017 season in full swing, the driver market is starting to become a talking point, with many wondering who will be where for 2018. Deeply unhappy are the two Red Bull drivers of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, who were expecting to be challenging for the title this year.
Instead, the team has slumped behind Mercedes and Ferrari and are in no man's land in third place. Remaining relatively unchallenged from the teams behind, it seems third place in the championship is already ironing itself out for the energy drink team.
Despite the fact that Verstappen and Ricciardo are tied to Red Bull beyond this season, Sky Sport's Ted Kravitz believes it is possible that Verstappen could be drafted into Ferrari for next season, replacing Kimi Raikkonen who may well retire at the end of the year.
"What is going to happen to Verstappen? We hear that not only is he not happy but by extension Jos is not happy," Ted said on a Sky F1 Facebook Live. "They are having heated discussions with Helmut Marko about what on earth is going on, where’s this championship you promised us, and they’re looking around as well. I think we have to throw Verstappen into the mix of where he will be driving next year.
"Red Bull say they hold all the cards, drivers don’t leave us we dump drivers. But try saying that to Sebastian Vettel who had a valid Red Bull contract. If Verstappen has Ferrari coming in saying ‘We want you Max to partner Sebastian next year, take Kimi’s seat, we’ll sort out the contract’ I think he would go.
"He’s that impatient for championship success that I think he would go at the moment because he doesn’t see, like many of us, Red Bull getting a championship before the rules change after 2020. Verstappen may have a contract but, as Christian Horner says, you can’t force a driver to drive for you if he doesn’t want to drive for you."
Fergal Walsh
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
959 members have this team as their favourite
Replies (12)
Login to replyf1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
If the opportunity came, he would go for sure
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Marko and co wont let that happen. Marko is de facto Max' manager at the moment, he has quite a lot of power over him.
kajin
Posts: 193
Vettel did also leave and olso he had a contract.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
It was different with Vettel, he had Kehm as his manager, and he had remained on his own terms. Verstappen is pretty much stuck at RB as it stands.
thierryvth
Posts: 22
Marko is not the manager of vesrtappen, Jos and raymond Vermeulen are, Marko is just as much manager of verstappen as for Ricciardo, Sainz and Kvyat
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Jos isnt anymore, Max scrapped that last year. Raymond has also been distanced, although not entirely disconnected. Though the bulk of the power over him lie in Marko's hands.
Yeah, it has really been the case ever since Vettel left. Doesnt make it any better though.
ianf1
Posts: 185
Vettel wouldn't allow this, Raikonnen is the perfect supporting team mate. I don't see
Max being so obliging
thierryvth
Posts: 22
Vettel is not Schummacher, Vettel doesnt deside that and mor important, Senna never drove for ferrari and that was a big issue for ferrari, they do not wanna missout on Max
boudy
Posts: 1,168
Max has been driving out of his skin this year, he has really had a run of bad luck. I can't see redbull engine situation changing. However can't see him leaving either.
Vet5
Posts: 225
There is always clauses in contracts. It isn't impossible to leave and terminate the contract, but it would cost a very pretty penny to the Verstappens is he were to voluntary terminate his contract, and would be a silly move in my eyes. Ferrari won't take him on either, because they are happy with Kimi playing second fiddle to Vettel (IMHO)
denis1304
Posts: 284
He had chance to go to Mercedes "junior team" Marussia at the time before he sign with RB and would be racing with Hamilton this year... is he getting Alonso career advice :-)
boudy
Posts: 1,168
@DENIS1304
Actually very funny. The redbull route seemed to make sense at the time;and still is; whatever happens he still will be in car that is better than most of the fields. I think that the Verstappen camp shares the frustration of not being able to secure an competitive engine supply. Merc and Ferrari are willing to supply teams that don't have the facilities of supporting a F1 championship winning car/team. However when a team like RedBull wants access to this it is not supported .. it stinks. Why would they? Mercedes and Ferrari have vested interest in making sure that their competitors don't get access to this resource.
That's why the independent engine supply is required. It will allow teams like redbull to be truly independent and teams like Sauber would benefit since they would not have to select drivers that are brought forward by their engine supplier.