Max Verstappen admitted it would be ‘strange’ if Red Bull recruit Fernando Alonso as a driver after the Spaniard was tipped for a potential move to the Austrian superpower for next season.
At 42-years-old, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid, but his stellar exploits at Aston Martin since moving to the team last year have put him in a strong position for one of the biggest seats on the grid.
Sergio Perez currently holds the position as the Belgian’s team-mate, but is under pressure to perform after a difficult season that saw him finish second in the championship standings but 290 points behind Verstappen, who secured a third consecutive title.
The Mexican helped his cause by finishing second behind Verstappen in qualifying for Sunday’s Japan Grand Prix, with Alonso set to start fourth on the grid.
An outspoken Verstappen insisted he ‘doesn’t care’ which driver partners him at Red Bull, but expressed concern over bringing in a driver of Alonso’s age.
Max Verstappen admitted it would be ‘strange’ if Red Bull recruit Fernando Alonso
42-year-old Alonso has been linked with a potential move to join Red Bull next season
Alonso has largely impressed since joining Aston Martin last year after leaving Alpine
‘I don’t care who sits next to me. I also said that to the team,’ the three-time F1 champion told De Limburger.
‘I always believe in myself and in my opinion I am the boss of everyone. But if you ask me, I would find it strange to sign a 42-year-old driver.
‘Red Bull has always had the tradition of training young drivers itself. Signing Sergio Perez was a departure from that trend, especially with a 42-year-old driver.
‘I can get along with Fernando – that’s not it. But I also look at the future of the team. Ultimately it is up to them to determine who drives where,’ he added.
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s future at Red Bull has also been under consideration with Mercedes searching for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, with the British ace joining Ferrari at the end of the year.
Verstappen admitted he ‘doesn’t care’ who partners him at Red Bull despite Sergio Perez currently driving alongside him
Alonso and Verstappen have shared various podiums throughout the past 12 months
The saga at Red Bull involving team principal Christian Horner has engulfed the team and the sport, with Mercedes chief team principal Toto Wolff publicly declaring Verstappen could have the seat if he wants it.
Commenting on the proposal of moving to one of Red Bull’s rivals, Verstappen said: ‘I understand why [Wolff] does it – he can’t ignore me. In the past, even before Red Bull, we had discussions with Mercedes.
‘Then they said, ‘You have to do this and that to become successful’. I think I have now shown how it should be done. They want me in that car, I understand that.
‘Look – a few years ago there was of course a little more tension between us and Mercedes… Mercedes does not have the fastest car at the moment. That really is the Red Bull,’ he said.
