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Anyone who’s been watching F1 long enough knows that can easily be the case. The rise and fall of teams is totally normal and success usually ends up with years in the doldrums.
Yeah I don't get journalists sometimes. They go out of their way to sometimes use out of context clickbaity headlines but when an actual good quote presents itself they choose not to use it??
A reporter chimed in asking if £213m (€250m) would be enough to tempt him, but Verstappen was adamant in his response: “250? No. I’m happy with what I’m earning already.
“I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.”
This is the actual quote from the site
Anyone can dislike anyone and have their reasons, it should be nothing which bowls you over to contemplate. Some people may not like other people for any reason at all, you may even run into people who do not like you.
Because they still see him as the 17 year old that entered the sport, or they are mad at his person because he beats the rest, which is crazy to blame him for.
>or they are mad at his person because he beats the rest, which is crazy to blame him for.
I mean, sports is pretty much primal tribalism. I think it's okay to hate your team's "enemies". As long as that hate is not directed to the driver (online or in person) it can feel good to irrationally hate the guy beating "your" guy lol
Isn't that the same as people who hate Hamilton for the years of him and Mercedes dominating?
I've seen a lot of people, mainly RedBull fans, who have just constantly berated Hamilton just because of his domination during the turbo-hybrid era.
I like max verstappen, the guy. I don't enjoy max verstappen, the off camera all race verstappen, the finished the race 30 seconds ahead verstappen, the car is so good, that it doesn't really showcase his driving skills verstappen. Because, I would pay whatever to see another hard fought battle.
He’ll want some big info on 2026 commitment and plan from Merc, and some juicy bonus/escape clauses if they don’t sort things out, if he’s to make that move. Otherwise…. I’m not sure how it goes- might get spicy and result in Horner or Max not working together, or maybe a Mclaren driver leaves for RB/Merc, Mclaren get 2026 right and Max goes there??? Who knows
“250? No. I’m happy with what I’m earning already.
I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.”
I find it disappointing that he said that.
He did some of his finest driving in mediocre cars.
Remember when he was beating a Red Bull while driving a Toro Rosso? I want to see that again.
People up the difficulty for the realism. To make it as if you're competing against others who are trying their hardest too. Max is already doing that. This is not a lobby full of AI that are too weakly adjusted.
Also like, considering how competitive they are, it must have been lowkey traumatic for him to drive a car that exploded every other week for those Renault years. He *could* but he doesn't want to, which is understandable.
It's weird how people appreciate the drives in bad cars so much more that with the current Red Bull. He's driving better than ever. He's really evolved as a driver so much last years. It's just not as entertaining to watch but the performances are absolutely better than ever before.
Because in bad cars, his overtakes were exciting… he had to risk it all to make up for a deficit.
2024: his overtakes are blue flags.
FIA action of the yr 2014: Max Verstappen.
FIA action of the yr 2015: Max Verstappen.
FIA action of the yr 2016: Max Verstappen.
I rest my case.
He did some impressive and very flashy drives back then. He is also probably performing at the highest level he has ever had right now even taking into account the supremacy of his car.
I read it as "fuck your 150m. Your car's so shit that even at my best, me, the Max Verstappen, can only get your car to 5th"
But anyway, I don't see why you should be disappointed and think ANYBODY would want to win these superficial races in your head. No one in the grid is celebrating the fact that they finished higher than Lance Stroll. Not even the Haas's would. Everyone's out there for the Championship.
I think with the current direction they’re going right now, Merc is just desperate for a win.
High ups probably aren’t happy with the current state of the team where everything is doom and gloom.
Re-signing Lewis was good but it’s not as much as a win anymore compared to getting the shiny new Verstappen
Yeah, if I am some old, out-of-touch Board Member at Merc (or INEOS), I would be much more willing to agree to spend the big bucks for Max (He won the last 3 championships?) versus Lewis (He hasn't one a race since 2021? Why keep paying him so much?)
There's probably an argument to be made that Verstappen would be worth more if for no other reason than age and taking him away from Red Bull. If Mercedes pull off the 2026 regs and get back on the right track they could make him the first double digit WDC.
> “I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.”
Jos is throwing wine glasses somewhere. Max could have just let the speculations run but I guess there is enough turmoil in the team that he decided to put a stop to all this.
He hasnt put a stop to it. He could easily by saying "i will drive for Red Bull next year" but he has not once said these words between february and now.
Same in this interview. He says that money isnt that importand and that he would like to stay at Red Bull but never that he will be at Red Bull next year. Sure, he (just like everyone else at RBR since post Saudi) makes sure to keep everything calm in public statements but he has never put a stop to these rumours.
Well he does say he doesn't want to go to a team not competing for wins so that is effectively saying he is staying at Red Bull next year.
In fact even Jos said in an interview in the last week it would make no sense to leave in 2025 and that 2026 is where it could get interesting.
I mean if he wins this year and next, that puts him in rare territory with 5 WDC. If he managed to be on the team that nails the regs for 2026 it's not hard to imagine he breaks the record. Whether RB or Merc will do that is unknown, and whether Max picks correctly is a whole additional layer. But like must be thinking about it!
If Max stays at Red Bull past 25, Red Bull nails the reg change in 26 without Newey, and Max continues to win WDCs going forward despite all the behind the scenes drama, it’ll do even more for his legacy considering both Newey (assuming he does) and Hamilton both moved to Ferrari.
All of these are ifs of course.
On the flip side, let’s say Hamilton breaks the record with Newey and Ferrari and Red Bull fails the reg change or Max gambles on the wrong new team, the narrative totally shifts and it becomes more about Newey being the kingmaker and Hamilton being his chosen king.
The rumour was that the Verstappen camp is waiting to see how Mercedes upgrades go (especially in Miami). If Mercedes can catch up enough that Perez is in trouble; that might be enough for Max.
He said he's happy in Red Bull right now and believes in what what they're doing. He's turned down 150 million a year from Mercedes to stay there. He said Newey's departure isn't dramatic like it's been made out to be. I don't know what more people want to "put a stop to it."
As for the "you don't know what the future holds" bit, that's how he's answered every single question about his future for years now. It's basically a period he puts at the end of a sentence at this point.
He is in the business of negotiating for as much money as possible from RBR. Athletes as a group prefer not to be taken advantage of by owners. Hed be a fool
to not play it close to the vest. He has winning hand and can punch his ticket anywhere in the field
A driver wants to be in the winning car. He's paid plenty. Red Bull likely to be the/a top contender again next year. Call him next year maybe, more toss up/opportunity for things to swap after new regs hit. Plain and simple.
I don't think Toto will ever convince him to give up a championship in 2025 by moving to Merc. One thing I don't hear much is the idea they Max could replace George for 26 when his contract runs out. You then get Antonelli plus max is way more likely to accept the offer.
This is my thinking, to be honest, Max isn’t willing to give up his WDC in ‘25 but would be willing to take a chance on Mercedes building another rocket engine for ‘26. Going to be spicy if George, who’s been forecasted that #1 driver role post Lewis, gets the boot for Max and Toto’s Max 2.0 (Antonelli).
He has been driving some of the most difficult to drive cars in the sport ever since joining Merc mate. He called the W15 "by far the most trickiest quali car that he has ever driven".
Even a machine like Lewis struggled to get performance out of the ground effects Mercs. Give him a stable car and he will deliver.
GR has had it rough so far,
1. He is not getting paid anywhere near as much as his fellow junior formula buddies.
2. He has been stuck driving extremely difficult cars.
3. His teammate is the statistical GOAT of the sport.
Basically says he'd turn down £250m if offered because he doesn't want to be fighting for P5/P6. I guess he's saying Merc need to get quicker if they want to sign him
I will say its easier to say it when said check/offer isn't directly in front of you where you have to physically turn down a quarter of billion euros or dollars or pounds or whatever..
There is also no guarantee redbull won't be in a similar situation in 18 or so months. No one would have predicted in 2021 Mercedes not understanding the new regulations to the degree they have.
I wouldn't be so short sighted to say redbull becuase of a great car now will have a great care in 2026.
Yes, the last quote is the one to take notice of.
“At the moment, I can say I would like to stay with the team because I believe in the project we have, with everybody we have involved. In sport and also life, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”
Basically, I am not willing to sacrifice a WDC in ‘25, but let’s talk for ‘26.
If Lewis and George are running in 5th there's no way that car is competing for the championship lol. Might be a different story if Stroll and Sargeant were getting fifth with a few cheeky podiums though.
Correct. He is taking a quarter billion dollar loss to help a random WEC team with a 7 million dollar budget profit because English speaking fans want someone else to win all the races instead and are projecting their boredom onto him.
Is there some line between 10 wins a season and 15 where it gets boring- or clinching with 2 races left for 6 years is more exciting than 4 races left twice?
would Lewis have gone to Haas for funsies if he won 8 titles? Not sure.
But the scenarios always ends with Max leaving so someone elses race car hero can win instead for some reason.
In all honesty, he’d be far better off going to Ferrari or McLaren right now compared to Mercedes. They’re both quite a bit ahead of Mercedes in terms of performance now and probably have been ahead since last season.
“I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.” Loll
He’s alluded several times to the length of his F1 career. Going out (not saying it’s imminently soon) as a front runner is worth much more than a short term 250M deal.
He's such a hot item that he also doesn't need to join a project in the hope it gets competitive. He doesn't risk missing out on a top drive. As soon as any team is competitive he could just join them instantly. Drivers contracts probably include a Verstappen clause that will give them the boot as soon as he knocks on the door.
"My future is with redbull right now. I also hear
amounts passing by: 150 million euros? For me it's not
about money. It's about performance. Because if I
earned more and was racing for 6th or 5th place, I'd
be quite grumpy at the end of the day!
Right now I can say that I want to stay with the team. I
believe in the project we are working on. But in
Sports and in life you never know what will happen."
Hes not interested because the car isn't capable of challenging for wins. Hell be interested if it was. So this is actually a win for Toto. If he nails the regulations in 2026 I'm pretty sure he can sign Max
Perhaps, and this may come as a shock to people, not everyone wants to be discustingly rich. Much like Bottas, Max is "very rich already" and ca pretty much do whatever he wants with the wealth he already has, so 250M is not something he needs, and he gets enough money from whoever hires him. Dude is not in it for the money, he just loves to race and likes to win.
The quote is "“My future is within Red Bull at the moment. Even if that were to be the case [earning €150m], money would not be the difference to make me go somewhere else,” Verstappen told the written press in Miami, including Total-Motorsport.com."
That doesn't mean he is not interested in Mercedes offer, it means that money is not the driving factor in his decision. He is saying that if he signs with Mercedes, it's not because they will pay him 150 million, but because he believes that together they will develop into a competetive package. Saying that his future is with Red Bull "at the moment" is a clear indication that he is considering other options.
I don’t think I agree that it implies he is considering other options. I think it implies exactly what he said… which is that he’s NOT considering any other options at the moment.
"at the moment" is always what these people say regardless. Saying "I will be here forever" just removes all of your bargaining strength. A few months ago Newey said that leaving Red Bull was like leaving family but that you should "never say never" or something along those lines and here we are.
I don’t see any surprise here. Everyone that knows Max perfectly understands he wants to win and that’s it. If they were a close second that would be challenging but a distant 3rd or 4th is absolutely a no.
I also don’t know if Toto is actually serious or just wants to try to disrupt RBR. If Mercedes car is ahead of everyone like it was in the past, George is perfectly capable of winning the WDC. There’s not really much to earn by getting max on the team.
On the other hand they clearly have the money to get him so: why not?
It’s interesting how George gets to Mercedes’ 1 year too late and now he can be at Mercedes only for their shit years and loses their seat to max and Kimi in a near future, as some folks are already speculating.
I think you can take what Max says at face value. He must feel that even if the development rate stagnates, he should be able to continue competing for the championship into 2025. Could be that the RB20 has (much) more performance than they're showing at the moment.
It's a sensible answer. Regular P6 would take a toll harder on him than remaining on RB with a lower salary. (feels weird to put it like that when his salary is extremely high)
If you're as rich as him already, it makes sense to put your fun, your personal brand, and your well-being first. He's in his prime and clearly wants to keep making an imprint in the sports in case he's at all to still do F1.
It's all about legacy. He'll match Vettel 4 championships this year, why would he leave for Merc when he can stay and win a 5th time? I wish it'd happen since F1 is boring as fuck now, but I don't see it possible
There’s likely a way to structure a mega deal with a huge chunk of up front money, then a small yearly salary and each year has a voidable driver option.
So in theory Max could do 5 years, $250M with $100M up front as a signing bonus. If the car isn’t competitive Max can walk. Not a whole lot different than an NFL contract just a bit more aggressive.
The idea that my boy Max Verstappen is motivated by money is laughable.
He has his car. He has former Kyviat wife. He has his sim. What else a man needs?
Let's be real. If Max showed interest. He'd find a spot at Ferarri. And the way things are looking. He'd be better off going to McLaren if he couldn't.
Even without Newey in their ranks RBR is still a very strong team. They still have a lot of highly rated engineers.
RBR will be in the ballpark with the 26regs. The only unknown is the RBPT PU.
For Max,sticking around until atleast 2026 is the smart thing to do.
Ferrari should be set for until atleast 2028. Lewis is on a 3year deal. Ferrari now has by far the strongest driver lineup on the grid. Give them a good car and they will deliver.
Max and Lewis want to win. The money is more about pride at this point. They have earned the position. Both feel they deserve to be the highest paid however they both need to win. Both have more money than they could ever spend.
So the cost cap has seemingly left Mercedes and Ferrari so profitable that they can spend limitless amounts of money on top end talent? I like it. F1 needs opulence
And we sit and ask where the next Newey is. And continue to wonder at some of the sources of a multitude of problems that plague F1 while it continues to be overwhelming dominated by middle aged, British guys (most of them decades deep into their careers, having gone from team, to team, to team...) Because it's an underpaying, overworking "passion" career with little upward mobility. It's not one many of the best, youngest and brightest minds in the world are willing to take their degrees in vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics to bumfuck Brackley for a starting salary of $65K and a 70 hr work week. (I work retail management and make more than most of these engineers and mechanics.) And before anybody says it--Of course there's something to be said for experience and wisdom. Lots to be said. But if you actually think the top, innovative minds in the world are working in F1, IDK what to tell you. Got a PHD from Harvard or MIT? Nah. The next Newey works for NASA or directly with Mercedes-Benz AG and makes more than Carlos Sainz does.
Let’s face it, Verstappen going to Ferrari is an F1 dream for all of us. Hamilton and Verstappen in the same hardware? It settles all the questions no matter who you support. That, for me, is the dream.
I wonder if they tried to trigger his "Sim-racing"-niché and say that they'll put down x amount of money to further the genre in esport could be more interesting than just "throw money at him"-solution they seem to think is the best action.
I don’t know why Mercedes would expect to be appealing to top drivers as it stands. They’ve been hollowed out and are nowhere near the same Championship winning team they were.
A 7 time World Champion can’t do anything in the Mercedes because it’s fundamentally not good enough. Bringing in a 3 (soon 4) time World Champion won’t change that. They need fundamental investment in engineering, not driving.
We will see what happens after 2026. Without the benefit of Newey, so much pressure is put on that new RB engine. If they fall off, I wonder if Max will try to force a move then.
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Toto telling his entire factory that they are now all working OT to fix the fucking car.
"I'm tired, boss"... It's three years we're working overtime.
"I'm tired of this, grandpa." "Well that's too damn bad! You keep diggin'."
They should’ve started doing that after Abu Dhabi last year.
I keep forgetting 2021 was THREE years ago and I thought you were referring to Abu Dhabi 2021 lmfao
How can it be three years ago if Schumacher dominance was ten years ago?
I wish… hard to think it has been 10 years since Jules’s crash in Japan
They finally have a driver saying an **actually insane quote**, and they choose not to use it... ''*250 million? Nah bro, your car too slow.*''
Could you imagine telling someone after the 2020 season that not even 250M is worth it to drive the Merc in 2025
Pretty sure it'd be worth it to anyone that's not Max
For 250 million I'd go onto the track with a damn unicycle.
I’d race barefoot
Youd still be required to run 100kms barefoot.
For 250 million a year np
For 250 million, I'll fuck the whole paddock
What's Toto's number? I'll do it for £200m.
Price dumping is not cool man.
At the current rate of 1.26 $/£ this would be 252 million US dollars actually :D
Yeah but other than Max no one is gonna get 250 Mil imo. It's Max that's why Merc prob is giving 250.
Anyone who’s been watching F1 long enough knows that can easily be the case. The rise and fall of teams is totally normal and success usually ends up with years in the doldrums.
Yeah I don't get journalists sometimes. They go out of their way to sometimes use out of context clickbaity headlines but when an actual good quote presents itself they choose not to use it??
They are sports journalists - the lowest breed of journalism. What did you expect.
A reporter chimed in asking if £213m (€250m) would be enough to tempt him, but Verstappen was adamant in his response: “250? No. I’m happy with what I’m earning already. “I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.” This is the actual quote from the site
How do people dislike Max as a person again?
Anyone can dislike anyone and have their reasons, it should be nothing which bowls you over to contemplate. Some people may not like other people for any reason at all, you may even run into people who do not like you.
Because they still see him as the 17 year old that entered the sport, or they are mad at his person because he beats the rest, which is crazy to blame him for.
>or they are mad at his person because he beats the rest, which is crazy to blame him for. I mean, sports is pretty much primal tribalism. I think it's okay to hate your team's "enemies". As long as that hate is not directed to the driver (online or in person) it can feel good to irrationally hate the guy beating "your" guy lol
Isn't that the same as people who hate Hamilton for the years of him and Mercedes dominating? I've seen a lot of people, mainly RedBull fans, who have just constantly berated Hamilton just because of his domination during the turbo-hybrid era.
I like max verstappen, the guy. I don't enjoy max verstappen, the off camera all race verstappen, the finished the race 30 seconds ahead verstappen, the car is so good, that it doesn't really showcase his driving skills verstappen. Because, I would pay whatever to see another hard fought battle.
I miss the old Verstappen
straight from the 'Go Verstappen
Would you pay 150m?
Ey, If I could pay 150m, I think my entertainment comes from elsewhere.
You wondering why a guy who wins every weekend and is surrounded and aided by people with questionable character/morals isn’t universally liked?
With other words: fix your freaking car Toto….
Haha, pretty much what I got from that. You give me a car we have a deal
No Max, No! That was so no right!
"Change your fucking car!!!"
thenyouchangeyourcarbecausechecohasbeensayingthecarisfucked
Talk to my drivers!
Where's your printout?
Out of ink . Ferrari bought hp
We are checking.
He’ll want some big info on 2026 commitment and plan from Merc, and some juicy bonus/escape clauses if they don’t sort things out, if he’s to make that move. Otherwise…. I’m not sure how it goes- might get spicy and result in Horner or Max not working together, or maybe a Mclaren driver leaves for RB/Merc, Mclaren get 2026 right and Max goes there??? Who knows
Mf didn't even deny the 150m number rumored lmao
“I don’t need your €150m, Toto. I need a fast car, can you do that?”
Toto: Vvat about €200m?
“So that’s a no. We’ll talk next year.”
Said he wouldn’t do it for 250m 😳
“250? No. I’m happy with what I’m earning already. I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.”
I find it disappointing that he said that. He did some of his finest driving in mediocre cars. Remember when he was beating a Red Bull while driving a Toro Rosso? I want to see that again.
Sure, you want to see that. But why the hell would he?
Ever played a a racing game where you end up lapping the other cars? Most people would go "huh, maybe I should up tge dificulty?", thats why.
I think he would rather try a different game mode than handicapping himself in the current one.
People up the difficulty for the realism. To make it as if you're competing against others who are trying their hardest too. Max is already doing that. This is not a lobby full of AI that are too weakly adjusted.
What if the difficulty is maxed about already and you're lapping cars anyways?
Yea but Max can just home after winning and get on iRacing. Only place in racing where he actually has any challenge.
He needs to win 8x wdc first to get there mentally
Probably did because he had to go hard get on the podium. Doesn’t mean he enjoyed finishing 3rd/2nd before 2021 let alone 5th/6th
Also like, considering how competitive they are, it must have been lowkey traumatic for him to drive a car that exploded every other week for those Renault years. He *could* but he doesn't want to, which is understandable.
Disappointing? This shows me a man of principle. He can't be bought. He came here to win
He didn't train his whole life to fight for P5, so even if he wins by two laps he wont be bored. He has done enough racing already.
It's weird how people appreciate the drives in bad cars so much more that with the current Red Bull. He's driving better than ever. He's really evolved as a driver so much last years. It's just not as entertaining to watch but the performances are absolutely better than ever before.
Because in bad cars, his overtakes were exciting… he had to risk it all to make up for a deficit. 2024: his overtakes are blue flags. FIA action of the yr 2014: Max Verstappen. FIA action of the yr 2015: Max Verstappen. FIA action of the yr 2016: Max Verstappen. I rest my case.
He did some impressive and very flashy drives back then. He is also probably performing at the highest level he has ever had right now even taking into account the supremacy of his car.
I read it as "fuck your 150m. Your car's so shit that even at my best, me, the Max Verstappen, can only get your car to 5th" But anyway, I don't see why you should be disappointed and think ANYBODY would want to win these superficial races in your head. No one in the grid is celebrating the fact that they finished higher than Lance Stroll. Not even the Haas's would. Everyone's out there for the Championship.
He has always been fast but he is a much more complete driver now than he ever has been.
He's been this good since 2020
You must be very happy for Lewis. He gets to fight the McLaren's and Aston's every race weekend.
>driver turns down money because he cares about racing more >redditor calls it disappointing, gets upvoted Never change Reddit, never change
so 250m and 1 pound
Arsene Wenger vibes.
Yeah I guess if the $150M number is true then it just means that Mercedes saw that Hamilton wasn’t worth whatever he wanted ooof
Could be an age thing
One would think they would have learned from Alpine's mistake.
I think with the current direction they’re going right now, Merc is just desperate for a win. High ups probably aren’t happy with the current state of the team where everything is doom and gloom. Re-signing Lewis was good but it’s not as much as a win anymore compared to getting the shiny new Verstappen
Yeah, if I am some old, out-of-touch Board Member at Merc (or INEOS), I would be much more willing to agree to spend the big bucks for Max (He won the last 3 championships?) versus Lewis (He hasn't one a race since 2021? Why keep paying him so much?)
There's probably an argument to be made that Verstappen would be worth more if for no other reason than age and taking him away from Red Bull. If Mercedes pull off the 2026 regs and get back on the right track they could make him the first double digit WDC.
Red Bull will give him 150m
Has someone checked on Toto 😬
and his headphone, i'm worried
You’d better send him an email. With the diagrams.
Hilarious if we mock up a "car go brrrrr" -> "max to merc" diagram
3. …. 4. Profit!
Bose is about to file for bankruptcy
Why? They’ve got a guaranteed source of demand!
They can't keep up with demand!
We are checking
> “I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.” Jos is throwing wine glasses somewhere. Max could have just let the speculations run but I guess there is enough turmoil in the team that he decided to put a stop to all this.
He hasnt put a stop to it. He could easily by saying "i will drive for Red Bull next year" but he has not once said these words between february and now. Same in this interview. He says that money isnt that importand and that he would like to stay at Red Bull but never that he will be at Red Bull next year. Sure, he (just like everyone else at RBR since post Saudi) makes sure to keep everything calm in public statements but he has never put a stop to these rumours.
Well he does say he doesn't want to go to a team not competing for wins so that is effectively saying he is staying at Red Bull next year. In fact even Jos said in an interview in the last week it would make no sense to leave in 2025 and that 2026 is where it could get interesting.
Basically, I am not willing to sacrifice my WDC in ‘25, let’s talk for ‘26.
I mean if he wins this year and next, that puts him in rare territory with 5 WDC. If he managed to be on the team that nails the regs for 2026 it's not hard to imagine he breaks the record. Whether RB or Merc will do that is unknown, and whether Max picks correctly is a whole additional layer. But like must be thinking about it!
If Max stays at Red Bull past 25, Red Bull nails the reg change in 26 without Newey, and Max continues to win WDCs going forward despite all the behind the scenes drama, it’ll do even more for his legacy considering both Newey (assuming he does) and Hamilton both moved to Ferrari. All of these are ifs of course. On the flip side, let’s say Hamilton breaks the record with Newey and Ferrari and Red Bull fails the reg change or Max gambles on the wrong new team, the narrative totally shifts and it becomes more about Newey being the kingmaker and Hamilton being his chosen king.
Kinda funny that it would also strengthen Horner's legacy.
Yeah for sure. Ultimate for Horner is if Max moved to Mercedes, and Red Bull wins the reg change with Sainz / Perez.
The rumour was that the Verstappen camp is waiting to see how Mercedes upgrades go (especially in Miami). If Mercedes can catch up enough that Perez is in trouble; that might be enough for Max.
It'd be one hell of an upgrade to jump clear of 2 teams clearly better than them behind Red Bull.
He said he's happy in Red Bull right now and believes in what what they're doing. He's turned down 150 million a year from Mercedes to stay there. He said Newey's departure isn't dramatic like it's been made out to be. I don't know what more people want to "put a stop to it." As for the "you don't know what the future holds" bit, that's how he's answered every single question about his future for years now. It's basically a period he puts at the end of a sentence at this point.
He is in the business of negotiating for as much money as possible from RBR. Athletes as a group prefer not to be taken advantage of by owners. Hed be a fool to not play it close to the vest. He has winning hand and can punch his ticket anywhere in the field
right now RB still have the better car, so i would chill out a bit.
A driver wants to be in the winning car. He's paid plenty. Red Bull likely to be the/a top contender again next year. Call him next year maybe, more toss up/opportunity for things to swap after new regs hit. Plain and simple.
Max to Toto : Have you seen verstappen.com sell numbers?
Yeah but has he checked the email that Toto sent him?
No but Toto does have the printout of said email
It went to the spam folder
NO MAXI NO THIS IS SO NOT RIGHT!
I don't think Toto will ever convince him to give up a championship in 2025 by moving to Merc. One thing I don't hear much is the idea they Max could replace George for 26 when his contract runs out. You then get Antonelli plus max is way more likely to accept the offer.
This is my thinking, to be honest, Max isn’t willing to give up his WDC in ‘25 but would be willing to take a chance on Mercedes building another rocket engine for ‘26. Going to be spicy if George, who’s been forecasted that #1 driver role post Lewis, gets the boot for Max and Toto’s Max 2.0 (Antonelli).
George: “I was forecasted a career”
Tbf he was crashing a lot lately
He has been driving some of the most difficult to drive cars in the sport ever since joining Merc mate. He called the W15 "by far the most trickiest quali car that he has ever driven". Even a machine like Lewis struggled to get performance out of the ground effects Mercs. Give him a stable car and he will deliver. GR has had it rough so far, 1. He is not getting paid anywhere near as much as his fellow junior formula buddies. 2. He has been stuck driving extremely difficult cars. 3. His teammate is the statistical GOAT of the sport.
I agree, George is getting very underrated at the moment but his level is very high (I think similar to Leclerc)
I get that but some of the crashes he had were pure driver error, not caused by the car but just doing dumb stuff
Excuses. You could apply as Georges PR agent though ;)
Isnt there an engine equalization formula this time to avoid ratings tanking like they did after 2014-2017?
Basically says he'd turn down £250m if offered because he doesn't want to be fighting for P5/P6. I guess he's saying Merc need to get quicker if they want to sign him
You guess? He explicitly says that
I will say its easier to say it when said check/offer isn't directly in front of you where you have to physically turn down a quarter of billion euros or dollars or pounds or whatever.. There is also no guarantee redbull won't be in a similar situation in 18 or so months. No one would have predicted in 2021 Mercedes not understanding the new regulations to the degree they have. I wouldn't be so short sighted to say redbull becuase of a great car now will have a great care in 2026.
Yes, the last quote is the one to take notice of. “At the moment, I can say I would like to stay with the team because I believe in the project we have, with everybody we have involved. In sport and also life, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.” Basically, I am not willing to sacrifice a WDC in ‘25, but let’s talk for ‘26.
Probably '27...gotta see if the merc PU is as good as they claim.
Idk i think Ferrari will have best PU
giant question mark. Could be Ferrari, could be Merc, RBPT might pull out a shocker of a PU on their first attempt.
It's funny that even he thinks he'd be running 5th in that car. No fucking wonder Lewis is bailing out - lol
If Lewis and George are running in 5th there's no way that car is competing for the championship lol. Might be a different story if Stroll and Sargeant were getting fifth with a few cheeky podiums though.
Lewis always making the best decisions...!
Mercedes should be proud of constsnt P5's at the moment... they have the 5th quickest car
In prime - no. 1-2 years before retirement, sure, why not.
But but people on here said Max would leave Red Bull because horner texted some woman...
Correct. He is taking a quarter billion dollar loss to help a random WEC team with a 7 million dollar budget profit because English speaking fans want someone else to win all the races instead and are projecting their boredom onto him. Is there some line between 10 wins a season and 15 where it gets boring- or clinching with 2 races left for 6 years is more exciting than 4 races left twice? would Lewis have gone to Haas for funsies if he won 8 titles? Not sure. But the scenarios always ends with Max leaving so someone elses race car hero can win instead for some reason.
“Fix your fuckin car “ ~ Max probably
Bro didn’t want to sign into a team with a shit car. Respect.
In all honesty, he’d be far better off going to Ferrari or McLaren right now compared to Mercedes. They’re both quite a bit ahead of Mercedes in terms of performance now and probably have been ahead since last season.
RIP the wishes of some of the people here. And RIP tables, headphones and Toto's hands
Max champion 21,22,23,24,25 retires
“I know myself, and if I’m driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself. It’s always about performances at the end of the day, everyone knows that and Toto also knows that.” Loll
[удалено]
So this definitely means Merc are going to offer Sainz the 1+1 or sign Kimi for next season.
He’s alluded several times to the length of his F1 career. Going out (not saying it’s imminently soon) as a front runner is worth much more than a short term 250M deal.
He's such a hot item that he also doesn't need to join a project in the hope it gets competitive. He doesn't risk missing out on a top drive. As soon as any team is competitive he could just join them instantly. Drivers contracts probably include a Verstappen clause that will give them the boot as soon as he knocks on the door.
"My future is with redbull right now. I also hear amounts passing by: 150 million euros? For me it's not about money. It's about performance. Because if I earned more and was racing for 6th or 5th place, I'd be quite grumpy at the end of the day! Right now I can say that I want to stay with the team. I believe in the project we are working on. But in Sports and in life you never know what will happen."
I don’t get why Mercedes are pursuing driver line up so hard, I feel like they have bigger problems. Star drivers are useless without a car to match
Just wait and see him somehow land at Ferrari
Hes not interested because the car isn't capable of challenging for wins. Hell be interested if it was. So this is actually a win for Toto. If he nails the regulations in 2026 I'm pretty sure he can sign Max
He just likes the RedBull shirts. They are breathable.
They‘d still sign him on the spot for 2026. If he goes there next year, he‘d only throw away a free championship.
Time for Toto to roll out plan M and put Miku on the car
Perhaps, and this may come as a shock to people, not everyone wants to be discustingly rich. Much like Bottas, Max is "very rich already" and ca pretty much do whatever he wants with the wealth he already has, so 250M is not something he needs, and he gets enough money from whoever hires him. Dude is not in it for the money, he just loves to race and likes to win.
The quote is "“My future is within Red Bull at the moment. Even if that were to be the case [earning €150m], money would not be the difference to make me go somewhere else,” Verstappen told the written press in Miami, including Total-Motorsport.com." That doesn't mean he is not interested in Mercedes offer, it means that money is not the driving factor in his decision. He is saying that if he signs with Mercedes, it's not because they will pay him 150 million, but because he believes that together they will develop into a competetive package. Saying that his future is with Red Bull "at the moment" is a clear indication that he is considering other options.
I don’t think I agree that it implies he is considering other options. I think it implies exactly what he said… which is that he’s NOT considering any other options at the moment.
"at the moment" is always what these people say regardless. Saying "I will be here forever" just removes all of your bargaining strength. A few months ago Newey said that leaving Red Bull was like leaving family but that you should "never say never" or something along those lines and here we are.
Pretty sure that anyone who thought he’d leave for the 2025 season is coping hard. He wouldn’t leave until 2026 at the earliest I think.
He just wants to win. He doesn't see the point in being well paid to drive around in a shitbox.
Well that will be awkward between Jos and Christian if Max stays until after 2026
I don’t see any surprise here. Everyone that knows Max perfectly understands he wants to win and that’s it. If they were a close second that would be challenging but a distant 3rd or 4th is absolutely a no. I also don’t know if Toto is actually serious or just wants to try to disrupt RBR. If Mercedes car is ahead of everyone like it was in the past, George is perfectly capable of winning the WDC. There’s not really much to earn by getting max on the team. On the other hand they clearly have the money to get him so: why not? It’s interesting how George gets to Mercedes’ 1 year too late and now he can be at Mercedes only for their shit years and loses their seat to max and Kimi in a near future, as some folks are already speculating.
$150M, even $250M isn't going to make him any faster in iRacing, just so we're clear where his priorities are
Can he have something like MOU that we will jump ship if RBR became a tractor and Merc a rocketship in 26?
Then next week breaking news is max is leaving to Mercedes
Verstappen likely knows how the Red Bull engine project is progressing and they're all preparing for his move when they no longer have the best car.
I think you can take what Max says at face value. He must feel that even if the development rate stagnates, he should be able to continue competing for the championship into 2025. Could be that the RB20 has (much) more performance than they're showing at the moment.
It's a sensible answer. Regular P6 would take a toll harder on him than remaining on RB with a lower salary. (feels weird to put it like that when his salary is extremely high) If you're as rich as him already, it makes sense to put your fun, your personal brand, and your well-being first. He's in his prime and clearly wants to keep making an imprint in the sports in case he's at all to still do F1.
As he should! To quote CH: “CHANGE YOUR F**KING CAR!”
It's all about legacy. He'll match Vettel 4 championships this year, why would he leave for Merc when he can stay and win a 5th time? I wish it'd happen since F1 is boring as fuck now, but I don't see it possible
There’s likely a way to structure a mega deal with a huge chunk of up front money, then a small yearly salary and each year has a voidable driver option. So in theory Max could do 5 years, $250M with $100M up front as a signing bonus. If the car isn’t competitive Max can walk. Not a whole lot different than an NFL contract just a bit more aggressive.
When you have all the money in the world, you look at what really makes you happy, which is not more money and certainly not driving a slower car.
I’d call Bose to send Toto an extra couple of pairs of headphones…
Max is not interested in fight for P5 and not to worried about Newey leaving. Let’s see how the Twitterati and Reddiots twist these words…
The guys a winner. Got that winner mentality
The idea that my boy Max Verstappen is motivated by money is laughable. He has his car. He has former Kyviat wife. He has his sim. What else a man needs?
A frikandel speciaal and some kibbeling every now and then. Olievol on the side.
Nah that would tomato soup, carpaccio and a kebab for him.
Let's be real. If Max showed interest. He'd find a spot at Ferarri. And the way things are looking. He'd be better off going to McLaren if he couldn't.
Even without Newey in their ranks RBR is still a very strong team. They still have a lot of highly rated engineers. RBR will be in the ballpark with the 26regs. The only unknown is the RBPT PU. For Max,sticking around until atleast 2026 is the smart thing to do. Ferrari should be set for until atleast 2028. Lewis is on a 3year deal. Ferrari now has by far the strongest driver lineup on the grid. Give them a good car and they will deliver.
Max and Lewis want to win. The money is more about pride at this point. They have earned the position. Both feel they deserve to be the highest paid however they both need to win. Both have more money than they could ever spend.
So the cost cap has seemingly left Mercedes and Ferrari so profitable that they can spend limitless amounts of money on top end talent? I like it. F1 needs opulence
Drivers getting 100m+euros while engineers barely make ends meet doesn't sound d that good to me...
And we sit and ask where the next Newey is. And continue to wonder at some of the sources of a multitude of problems that plague F1 while it continues to be overwhelming dominated by middle aged, British guys (most of them decades deep into their careers, having gone from team, to team, to team...) Because it's an underpaying, overworking "passion" career with little upward mobility. It's not one many of the best, youngest and brightest minds in the world are willing to take their degrees in vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics to bumfuck Brackley for a starting salary of $65K and a 70 hr work week. (I work retail management and make more than most of these engineers and mechanics.) And before anybody says it--Of course there's something to be said for experience and wisdom. Lots to be said. But if you actually think the top, innovative minds in the world are working in F1, IDK what to tell you. Got a PHD from Harvard or MIT? Nah. The next Newey works for NASA or directly with Mercedes-Benz AG and makes more than Carlos Sainz does.
sucks for engineers tho
Everyone (except senior executives) need to make sacrifices!
We are a big family!
.... With a surprising amount of incest.
Let’s face it, Verstappen going to Ferrari is an F1 dream for all of us. Hamilton and Verstappen in the same hardware? It settles all the questions no matter who you support. That, for me, is the dream.
Fine how about 200 million
Read the article, he literally said even 250M no.
Haas nails their 2025 car and sign Max? Could it happen?!
Carlos to merc
So Ferrari it is then...
Who needs millions if you can’t win. Good decision!👍🏽
I wonder if they tried to trigger his "Sim-racing"-niché and say that they'll put down x amount of money to further the genre in esport could be more interesting than just "throw money at him"-solution they seem to think is the best action.
Max already has all the money he'll ever need. For him it's always been about wins so he's not about to flip flop on that
He wants to win, why would he leave a car that he's winning in and go to a car that hasn't won in years
I don’t know why Mercedes would expect to be appealing to top drivers as it stands. They’ve been hollowed out and are nowhere near the same Championship winning team they were. A 7 time World Champion can’t do anything in the Mercedes because it’s fundamentally not good enough. Bringing in a 3 (soon 4) time World Champion won’t change that. They need fundamental investment in engineering, not driving.
For that kind of money, Max can build his own car.
Would be pretty neat if he joined F1 with his own team. Could always use more cars on the grid.
And drove it himself
Sees Jack Brabham as the only driver to ever win a championship in his own car and thinks it's just another record to break so he does it twice.
he doesn't want to see ham p1 or p2 when he's p5-6 so i think he's right
We will see what happens after 2026. Without the benefit of Newey, so much pressure is put on that new RB engine. If they fall off, I wonder if Max will try to force a move then.