Mercedes 'Very, Very Good Alternative' For Verstappen According To Schumacher

Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 01:30

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher suggested in an interview following the third race of the 2024 season that he believed Max Verstappen would be a good fit for Mercedes.

The German former F1 driver already spoke on this topic ahead of the Australian Grand Prix when he stated that chances of the triple World Champion's move to Mercedes "are great."

The Silver Arrows team principal, Toto Wolff, recently indirectly confirmed that there are serious talks between the two sides.

He revealed he is currently waiting for Verstappen to decide and expects the 26-year-old to make a decision within the next few weeks.

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What would happen to Red Bull if Max Verstappen left? According to Ralf Schumacher, Christian Horner already has a plan with Fernando Alonso, whom he has always been a "very, very big fan" of.

Moreover, the 48-year-old told Sky Germany that he believed the Flying Dutchman would fit very well within the German team with his personality.

"Max Verstappen speaks German, and therefore Mercedes is a very, very good alternative for him. And he would also fit in well, especially his personality. But it’s not that far yet."

It is being overlooked at the moment, but Verstappen would also have to get out of his contract first before being able to head to Mercedes.

Initially, it was said that the 26-year-old would be free to leave the team from Milton Keynes if Helmut Marko did. However, the 80-year-old doesn't seem to be leaving anymore.

On the other hand, Marko told the media that he would not stand in Verstappen's way if he decided to leave the team. Schumacher added:

"And by the way, theoretically he first has to get out of the contract. Helmut Marko could of course do that too, because his contract is basically linked to Max Verstappen. I also don’t think they would stand in his way at Red Bull if he wanted to leave."