Coulthard would ‘understand’ Verstappen exit

David Coulthard

(GMM) 2020 will be a "crucial season" for Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

That is the view of former Red Bull driver David Coulthard, who told De Telegraaf newspaper that he can imagine Verstappen leaving the team after 2020.

"Max is one of the best drivers, but he has been limited somewhat by the car," he said.

"It would be great for Formula 1 if the cars driven by Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc are all approximately equal – then we will see an exciting fight.

"But in the last six years, Mercedes has had the best car. I would really like to see Max stay at Red Bull, but I understand if he would want to leave if Red Bull and Honda cannot fight for the title in 2020.

"It's going to be a very important year for them," Coulthard added.

Coulthard, now a commentator for British television, also said he is looking forward to seeing Verstappen race for his home crowd at Zandvoort next year.

"It's an old school circuit for the brave drivers to really attack. I think it will be one of the highlights of the year," he said.