Ex F1 team boss Guenther Steiner claims Mercedes “don’t need” Max Verstappen
Ex-Haas team boss Guenther Steiner makes bold Mercedes claim amid Max Verstappen's uncertain F1 future.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Formula 1 form means Mercedes no longer needs to sign Max Verstappen, according to former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner.
Verstappen has long been linked with a sensational switch to Mercedes and the four-time world champion’s future has continued to be the subject of intense speculation with Red Bull unable to challenge the dominant Silver Arrows so far this campaign.
The 28-year-old Dutchman is yet to win a race this season and lies sixth in the drivers’ championship with 109 points. Verstappen trails championship leader Antonelli by 110 points.
Due to Antonelli producing some incredible performances this year, Steiner thinks Mercedes will be less inclined to consider a move for Verstappen.
"What I think the problem for Max at the moment is if you would have asked me three or four days ago, I would say going to McLaren is a sideways move, after [the Hungarian Grand Prix], maybe it isn't a sideways move, but things changed since then," Steiner told the Up To Speed podcast.
"If Max goes somewhere, obviously he wants to go somewhere which is better than Red Bull, and there are not many teams around better than Red Bull.
"Maybe Red Bull at the moment is not where they want to be, at the forefront like they were a few years ago, but it's still one of the big four good teams.
“The seats are filled at Ferrari. At Mercedes, I think they've now found the next Max Verstappen. So, maybe they don't need the real Max Verstappen at the moment."
Verstappen has also been heavily linked with a shock switch to McLaren in recent weeks, but Steiner has expressed his doubts about such a move.
"Then there was McLaren, but McLaren until a few races ago, it's like, are they really better than Red Bull? Because I think Red Bull has got one advantage. They've got their own engine now, which is an advantage,” Steiner added.
"If you have got the works engine, I mean McLaren is doing very well having a Mercedes customer engine. But in the end, [McLaren] would be the only possibility [for Verstappen], and I don't know if that possibility even exists.
"There was the rumour that maybe Oscar could go to Red Bull, but I think that is the biggest thing for Max: if Max goes somewhere, he wants to go to the best team around.”
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