Former Formula 1 race winner Ralf Schumacher has warned Max Verstappen against moving from Red Bull to Ferrari in the future.
Verstappen’s very public rebuttal of the 2026 F1 technical regulations has coincided with a drop off in performance in competitiveness from Red Bull.
The early races proved to be a challenge for the four-time world champion, the RB22 crashing out in Q1 in Melbourne due to a locked rear axle, then retiring in China due to a loss of power.
Miami however, marked a turning point, lining up on the front row for Sunday’s Grand Prix, before a first corner spin put him out of contention.
Burt Schumacher has warned against Verstappen jumping ship to Ferrari, instead advising the Dutchman to continue his exploits in GT3.
“Anything is conceivable,” Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.
“Many drivers desperately want to go to Ferrari – it’s something very special as a brand in Formula 1.
“But I think Max feels very comfortable at Mercedes, also with the GT3 setup and the teams that work together there, as well as the Mercedes engine.
“They’re always building with the best engines.”
Max Verstappen unable to transfer success?
Another aspect Schumacher highlighted was the inability of Verstappen to transfer the inner team around him to Ferrari, given the recent high profile departures.
This would force him to work with those already embedded at Ferrari and adapt to their ways of working, a factor Schumacher believes would be near impossible for Verstappen.
“So, I can hardly imagine it,” he said. “And Max would then have to subordinate himself to this structure in a certain way – and he’s not like that.
“He’s just as used to being a team leader. But if he comes into this team alone, which isn’t functioning well right now, he won’t be able to handle it as a driver.”
Schumacher is correct in his assumption that Verstappen is unlikely to move to Ferrari. Should he depart Red Bull, he will likely leave F1 entirely.
Discussion about this post