Ferrari Formula 1 boss Frederic Vasseur has admitted that the marque would be “thrilled” to sign Max Verstappen, but he insists his team must “focus on ourselves”.
Verstappen maximised the potency of Red Bull’s RB19 car over last season to win a record-breaking 19 races as he surged uncontested to a third straight Drivers’ title.
The Dutchman has now attained 53 career victories, placing him third on the all-time F1 list, all of which have been achieved driving for the Milton-Keynes squad since 2016.
But Verstappen, who retains a contract with Red Bull through 2028, failed to shut down the possibility of a move to Ferrari in an interview with Sportweek early last year.
“I know that Ferrari has an incredible history in Formula 1 and is an incredible team to compete with,” Verstappen said.
“I know that when the current contract comes to an end I will be 31 years old and I am quite convinced that I will still be able to do great things.”
Meanwhile, Vasseur, who took charge at Ferrari last winter, lavished praise on Verstappen’s season, branding him as being “on another planet” compared to his rivals.
But although he concedes every team boss would want the World Champion in their team, Vasseur sees no point in discussing the prospect of Verstappen at Ferrari.
“All 10 team managers would be thrilled to have him, but I think he has a contract until 2045,” Vasseur joked via Corriere dello Sport.
“But let’s not waste energy talking about it, let’s focus on ourselves.”
Ferrari is bidding to bounce back from an arduous 2023 campaign that saw the side fall short of pre-season expectations linking it with a renewed tilt at the championship.
But despite dropping to third in the standings, Ferrari managed to claim the only non-Red Bull win of the year when Carlos Sainz triumphed at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Vasseur has revealed that the Maranello squad will change “95% of components” from its troubled SF-23 car as it aims to compete regularly with the Austrian outfit.
