The rumors surrounding Max Verstappen’s move to Mercedes don’t seem to stop. A move seemed quite possible, especially in the early stages of the season, as Red Bull was unable to keep calm due to the scandal surrounding team boss Christian Horner.
Then the situation seemed to calm down before Christian Horner apparently had Jos Verstappen removed from the list of the Legends Parade in Spielberg. In addition, Mercedes now seems to be competitive. Does this give Mercedes another opportunity with Verstappen? That’s what Formula 1 expert Christian Danner says.
Christian Danner: I think Verstappen change is possible
Formula 1 is now halfway through the season and thus usually the end of the silly season. But in 2024 everything seems different. On the one hand, Lewis Hamilton’s transfer saga started much earlier than expected in February – and on the other hand, it is dragging on longer.
Carlos Sainz is still weighing up all options and is keeping the driver market quiet. But the Max Verstappen domino could also fall differently than expected due to the recent Mercedes successes, believes Christian Danner. “I think that [einen Verstappen-Wechsel, Anm. d. Red.] quite possible, because we have now reached a point where everyone is waiting a bit.”
Mercedes could have decided on a new driver long ago. Junior Kimi Antonelli is just waiting for a call from the Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, the same probably applies to Carlos Sainz, who has one eye on the Mercedes cockpit. But the Silver Arrows still have Max Verstappen in their sights.
“You leave that spot open and you’re still talking to Verstappen and I think that the way the season is developing at the moment, that’s a clear option for him,” believes Christian Danner. Thanks to a new update in Monaco, Mercedes seems to be knocking on the door at the top again.
The Silver Arrows won the last two races, albeit in Austria thanks to fortunate circumstances. “That was perhaps the most important update in Mercedes history that was made to the car.”
Danner: Verstappen knows what awaits him at Mercedes
Will the update and the resulting performance attract the current world champion? For Max Verstappen, that would be a huge step. Since his first Formula 1 test in 2014, the Dutchman has driven in Red Bull and Toro Rosso vehicles.
“You can analyse a car very well. What it can do and what it cannot do. That’s why I think Verstappen knows exactly what he would face if he wanted to take this step,” believes Danner.
His teammate would then be George Russell. In terms of driving skills, he would probably be a different proposition to Sergio Perez, especially in his current form. But according to Danner, that doesn’t deter Verstappen.
“He doesn’t just believe that he is better, in most cases he shows it too. It is often self-confidence, the way you convince yourself that you are unbeatable. That is psychology. I think he is convinced that if they can do it, I can do it for a long time!” says Danner.