Max Verstappen

Sorry mate,
I don't think so.
RB 16 is far from W11 aero efficiency.

 

Max has been very close to top merc on most occasions, despite the car and engine. He's 77 points behind now in the WDC table, with 3 engine failures. He scores on average 18 points per race this season (races that he finished). Had he finished those races he would only be about 23 points behind Lewis...and that's with the current engine.

So yes with an engine about on par with Mercedes I don't think unreasonable to assume he would be fighting for the title.

 

Good point.
I just forgot how good he is..

 

Max' contract stipulates that he can walk away from RB if they don't deliver or if they miss a vital component such as a motor. So he is raising the pressure and if it leads nowhere he could switch to Mercedes scott free.

 

Max wouldn't stand a chance against Bottas

 

ROFL

 

And Redbull appear to not confirm this lol. Hmmmmmmm

 

Honda exit has no impact on Verstappen's Red Bull contract, says Horner

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.honda-exit-has-no-impact-on-verstappens-red-bull-contract-says-horner.4QxV5i1cMBXiFeSiSERVFG.html?fbclid=IwAR1xXgdRidEzYMtZtKckwrYSIWW2kv8svVvAiE4v5rm4ovVmij1Pyq2sDxk

Horner insisted in his team column ahead of the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring this weekend that there were no Honda-related clauses in Verstappen’s contract, while adding that the Dutchman was “upbeat” about Red Bull’s post-Honda future.


Who to believe ?

 

Horner is a Hornochse. He is wrong.

 

Agree. Jos is speaking up due to a positon of strength?? I would think they panick a bit after the Honda news.

Non-commital replay from Max
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/30070142/max-verstappen-saw-honda-f1-exit-coming

 

Wolff seems to reject Verstappen: "Russell and Ocon are in the starting blocks"

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/70140/wolff-seems-to-reject-verstappen-russell-and-ocon-are-in-the-starting-blocks-.html

With the departure of Honda from Formula 1, the future of Max Verstappen may also be at stake for the team. Toto Wolff only seems to close the door for the Dutchman at Mercedes.

When Honda became the engine supplier at Red Bull Racing, it seemed like the beginning of a long and successful partnership, including Max Verstappen who was fully committed to the project. This will come to an end after next year alone, as Honda withdraws from the sport. Officially for environmental reasons, but behind the scenes there are rumors that there is another reason.

Now that Red Bull Racing is no longer a 'factory team' - unless a deal can be made with another engine supplier outside Formula 1 - this may also mean the departure of Verstappen from the team. Before that happens, Toto Wolff however seems to be closing the door for the Dutchman at Mercedes. "Max is clearly committed to Red Bull and is loyal to the team," said the team boss to the press on Saturday, quoted by Motorsport-Magazin.com.


The Austrian says he doesn't need the Dutchman at Mercedes, despite the relatively old age of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. "I am very happy with my two drivers. If there is a generational change in the future, then George Russell and Esteban Ocon are in the starting blocks," concludes Wolff. Although the two talents are clearly great drivers on their own, it however seems like a missed opportunity for Mercedes not to pick up Verstappen in case Hamilton retires.

 

Saying anything else kills the Mercedes young driver scheme. And it wouldn't please Lewis, either. Because very quickly the questions would come every week ''whyy don't you sign Verstappen alongside Lewis''.

 

Hamilton knows perfectly well that he would have no chance against Verstappen.
Mercedes will not take the risk to demolish its advertising figure.

 

Please, don't exaggerate.

 

I strongly believe it.

 

What’s funny is that a lot of observers don’t realize what level Max is at. The reference remains for me the last year of Ricciardo at Red Bull when Max dominated him with an 18-3 in qualifying.
Shame he and Charles couldn't compete against Lewis properly.

 

I wholeheartedly believe both Verstappen and Leclerc could make life very difficult for Hamilton in an equal car. They are not Button, Rosberg, or Bottas, and Hamilton is not a god, no matter what his supporters tend to believe.

 

I consider Ricciardo to be at the same level as Max when racing....maybe slightly better than Max during racing.

The only difference between the 2 is Max is an "in-your-face" driver and Ricciardo is more of a "gentalmanly" driver.

 

Respectfully disagree.
Daniel left Red Bull too because he realized that with experience, Max would become untouchable.
Again Gasly and Albon are very skilled drivers, problem is Max is something else like a prime Schumi or Senna in 1993.
Horner and Red Bull are well aware of that and they have no solutions to find a motivated driver enough competive and in the same time be able to accept being humiliated every Sunday by his teammate.

 

Agree with everything you said which is why Ricciardo left RedBull BUT:

2018-->Last year with RedBull and Ricciardo signs with Renault. Ricciardo had 8 DNF's vs Max's 4 DNF's. Ricciardo 170pts vs Max 249pts.

2017-->Ricciardo with RedBull. Ricciardo has 6 DNF's vs Max's 7 DNF's. Ricciardo 200pts vs Max 168pts. Even if you gave Max a win in a race to equal Ricciardo DNF's total, Ricciardo still comes out ahead.

2016--> Ricciardo had 1 DNF vs Max's 4 DNF's. Ricciardo 256pts vs Max's 204pts.

 

I totally agree with you. I think they are very similar in driving abilities.

Like his father was, Max Verstappen strikes me as a rather uncouth, and unattractive character.

But I see Ricciardo as having a more refined personality, more pleasant and fun to be around.

 

I've seen short videos of Max OFF THE TRACK with his team-mates and he seems rather pleasant to be around. ON THE TRACK as of late he seems to have matured somewhat.

Agree on Ricciardo ON and OFF the track.

 

You are right but Max was 18 years old in 2016.
And Daniel was in his fifth formula one season.
Two years before Max was competing Karting world championship..
It was already pretty obvious that with more experience he wouldl be very strong.
Time will tell.

 

2019 and 2020 Max is certainly coming of age regarding his maturity on the track and knows currently when to pick his battles.

 

+1