Verstappen linked with Ferrari switch (Update 6)
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| Franz Tost puts Verstappen to Ferrari rumors to bed….for now |
Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost dismissed speculation the 2015 Ferrari engine deal for the team could be a precursor to Verstappen switching to the Maranello team, just like his Red Bull predecessor Sebastian Vettel before him.
"Yes, but Sebastian drove a long time for Red Bull and was ready for a change. Max is still far from ready," the Austrian insisted. "So let's stop with this talk."
10/30/15 (GMM) Rumors are continuing to swirl around Max Verstappen, the 18-year-old F1 rookie sensation.
Red Bull – although occupied with the greater concern about finding power units for 2016 – is yet to officially declare the driver lineups for the senior and junior teams in 2016.
It leaves open the possibility that Dutchman Verstappen could be promoted from Toro Rosso, but his father Jos told Brazil's Globo: "I think Max will stay here for another year to gain experience and then think about changing teams to get a better car for 2017."
Pino Allievi, the highly experienced F1 correspondent for La Gazzetta dello Sport, claims there is actually a chance Verstappen is being lined up by Ferrari to replace Kimi Raikkonen.
And former double world champion Mika Hakkinen, a recent critic of countryman Raikkonen's performances at Ferrari, told Ilta Sanomat newspaper: "It should be remembered that Ferrari is a team that can make very fast and unexpected decisions."
The foundation of Verstappen's move to Ferrari could be laid next year, when Toro Rosso is expected to use the Italian marque's 2015-spec power unit.
10/15/15
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| Max Verstappen to Ferrari rumors won't go away |
(GMM) Speculation about his F1 future is swirling around teen sensation Max Verstappen.
The latest rumors have been triggered by the Red Bull engine crisis, as the energy drink company is forced to consider pulling both of its F1 teams out of the sport.
So as the possibility rises that rival teams will have to enter third cars next year to plug the hole on the grid, Mercedes' Toto Wolff has already been spotted in conversation with Verstappen's father Jos.
Wolff wrote off the meeting as mere "coffee" with the former F1 driver, but when asked why Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen was also there, the Austrian told F1's official website: "No, not sure!"
And the rumors about Toro Rosso's Verstappen do not stop there.
The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad said the 18-year-old's manager Vermeulen is "playing chess on multiple boards" amid the current Red Bull crisis.
So if the third-car option does materialize for 2016, "Verstappen would be more than welcomed by Ferrari" as well, the AD report claimed.
Max was quoted as saying this week: "At this moment there is no clarity" about Red Bull's future.
"I am confident that they will be on the grid next year, but I have no influence on that."
Told that many regard him as an almost certain world champion of the future, Verstappen added: "It's always good to hear, because it means you must be doing something right.
"But for me at the moment it is just important to learn a lot and gain experience.
"I can only do my best on the track. If in the future I am in a better car, I do hope to go for wins and the world championship," he admitted.
When asked if he has a clear plan for his next steps in F1 already, Verstappen answered: "In F1 it doesn't work like that. You can't really plan.
"The important thing is to work on being not only fast but also consistent. Next, you have to be lucky to be driving for the right team at the right time."
09/01/15 (GMM) Max Verstappen is staying put at Toro Rosso for 2016, his father has announced.
"He's staying for another year at Toro Rosso," Jos Verstappen, once a teammate to the great Michael Schumacher in the mid 90s, told Austrian television Servus TV.
Earlier, 17-year-old rookie sensation Max was linked with a move to Ferrari, until the fabled Italian team re-signed Kimi Raikkonen for another year.
Now, it is rumored Verstappen could move to Ferrari in 2017.
He is currently under firm contract to Red Bull, Toro Rosso's team owner, and has been tentatively linked with a potential move to the senior team for 2016.
As for the Ferrari rumors, Jos said: "It's good that his name is mentioned in this context, but we have a long-term contract with Red Bull and we are very happy about that.
"He made a big mistake in Monaco, which happens, but otherwise I am so happy with his season so far."
Verstappen snr even thinks Max has earned the respect of his rivals, even though some senior drivers had earlier expressed concerns about his bravado.
"The others look at his overtaking on the basis that it is on the limit, but that is a good thing in formula one," said Jos. "I think it's something that deserves respect and my feeling is that is what he has now."
Given the recent Jules Bianchi and Justin Wilson tragedies, however, it might be said that the argument Verstappen is too young and inexperienced for the pinnacle class of motor sport remains strong.
Jos said: "When he sat for the first time in a formula one car, I was a little scared. But when I saw that he has everything under control, I calmed down.
"I think if you ride a bicycle to school through the city, that is also dangerous. The cars and the tracks are built specifically for racing, so I think that the sport is relatively safe."
07/16/15 We already had this rumor as 'false' long ago. Max Verstappen's father has put a lid on speculation linking the Toro Rosso rookie with a sensational switch to Ferrari.
The 'silly season' has caught up even with F1's impressive 17-year-old rookie, but Red Bull driver manager Dr Helmut Marko insists Verstappen's contract is watertight.
And now the young Dutchman's father and manager, former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, tells Speed Week: "For us it was very important to be able to have a long-term contract with Red Bull, and we are very satisfied with that.
"I haven't the slightest idea where this rumor comes from — maybe it's because Max does a good job! Perhaps it's also because Ferrari is thinking about replacing Kimi Raikkonen, and then the rumors start.
"But the fact is that there is no contact with Ferrari," Jos Verstappen added.
07/07/15
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| Max Verstappen |
This rumor is downgraded to 'false' today. Dr Helmut Marko has hit back at speculation Red Bull could lose Max Verstappen to a key rival after just a single season in F1.
Amid his meteoric debut this year at the unprecedented age of 17, young Dutchman Verstappen is already being linked with a sensational switch to Ferrari.
But Marko, boss of Red Bull's driver program, said: "It makes no sense to speculate like that.
"Max has a multi-year contract with Red Bull," he told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. "The plan is that he will drive next year with Toro Rosso also."
In fact, while the racing world gushes over Verstappen and also the 2015 Toro Rosso car, Marko is even slightly critical after the British grand prix weekend.
"Max was very good on Friday and on Saturday morning, but not so good in qualifying and the race," said the Austrian.
"Yes he had bad luck on Saturday with a technical problem, but a lot also has to do with experience. It is not so important to be P3 on Friday morning for example.
"In general, I think at Toro Rosso they need to become better at building up over a weekend," Marko added.
07/04/15 (GMM) Teen sensation Max Verstappen has burst into the running for Kimi Raikkonen's seat at Ferrari.
A source told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that the 17-year-old Dutchman is considered "a serious option" by the fabled Maranello team.
Toro Rosso rookie Verstappen, however, is firmly under contract to team owner Red Bull, meaning Ferrari would need to buy out the deal.
But Verstappen said the rumors are flattering anyway.
"It means I'm doing well," he said at Silverstone.
"Sure it would be nice to drive for Ferrari. I think if you get a chance like that, you have to take it."
In truth, more experienced candidates like Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg are probably higher on Ferrari's priority list.
But Jos Verstappen, Max's famous father, said: "It says something about Max that after eight races in F1 he is already linked to Ferrari."
He referred to Max's existing Red Bull deal but commented: "Whether that makes it impossible? I think in life nothing is impossible."
Jos added: "We are always thinking about the future, as ultimately the goal for Max is to win races and fight for the championship.
"However, he is still in a phase of his career where it is especially important for him to gain experience.
"I think it's difficult to know whether after one season he would be ready for that (Ferrari). But when I see how quickly he is picking up everything, how he develops and how he performs, I think Max is doing incredibly well.
"Whether the car is blue, yellow or red, to me it makes not so much difference," added Jos.