Guenther Steiner, former director of the Haas Formula 1 team, has shared his opinion on Max Verstappen’s possible entrenchment with Red Bull Racing at the expense of a previous agreement with Mercedes. According to Steiner, Verstappen “absolutely regrets” not having accepted past offers to join the German giant, stating that now this option would be completely closed.
The future of Verstappen has been under scrutiny following some complicated performances with his current team. The situation came to a head during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where a recurring issue with the rear wing caused the Dutch driver to go off track and get stuck in the gravel.
Steiner, in statements to the podcast The Red Flags Podcast, pointed out that “at that time, all negotiations were being conducted with George Russell and Mercedes.” According to him, Verstappen was unsure about his future and passed up the opportunity to make the jump to Mercedes.
Additionally, Steiner added that it is now too late for Verstappen to join the Brackley team, given the strong driver lineup they already have, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli being more than candidates for 2027. The team director at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, recently confirmed his desire to keep the current drivers for the upcoming season.
Verstappen’s decision to stay at Red Bull may, according to Steiner, turn out to be a strategic mistake. “He was convinced to stay where he is, he waited for the new regulations to arrive, and now it seems that it is too late,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
