By Joe Man
The rumors surrounding Max Verstappen have been growing louder by the week, and as they say, there isn’t smoke without fire! With Christian Horner’s sacking from Red Bull, the rumors intensified once again. Is it a case of Max claiming, “It’s him or me,” or is it due to Red Bull now losing their star driver, joining a long list of exits from the team?
Red Bull is now in a real mess. They have a car entirely designed around Verstappen to the point where no one else can drive it. A significant rebuild is needed, especially with new regulations coming next year. It’s a chaotic situation, and one can easily see Max being very eager to escape.
Let’s assume the rumors are true and Max jumps to Mercedes to partner with the young, up-and-coming Kimi Antonelli. What then happens to George Russell?
It’s incredible to think they would drop George, who is currently one of the top five drivers, but Formula 1 is a cruel business! Russell has done nothing wrong, but if Max is available, any team would want him.
The obvious choice for George would be a straight swap, landing him at Red Bull. But is that really a good move for a generational talent like Russell? Currently, no one other than Max can drive their car, and without Verstappen, they would be last in the Constructors’ Championship. On top of dealing with an almost undrivable car, they are building their own powertrains next year for the first time. All of this was overseen by Christian Horner, who has lost many top operational staff, including the design genius Adrian Newey. Newey, of course, has gone to Aston Martin, and surely it makes sense for Russell to follow him.
Lawrence Stroll has heavily invested in Aston Martin, yet he doesn’t have a strong driver lineup. His son Lance will always occupy one seat but isn’t likely to outperform most drivers on the grid. On the other hand, there’s the great Fernando Alonso, who, at 43 years old, certainly isn’t the future.
Russell is a perfect fit for Aston Martin. He could head there for the long term and grow with one of the fastest-growing teams. He would face no competition from a teammate and have the opportunity to work with the greatest designer of his time.
It would be hard on Alonso, but it’s a ruthless game. If Alonso were suddenly dumped, it might bring an end to one of the great careers. Still, if the old warrior wanted to continue, he could be ideal for Red Bull.
If Max departs, Red Bull will have a collection of talented young drivers and a car none of them can drive. As the team rebuilds, it might be better to bring in an experienced veteran who has seen it all to help guide the next generation. Who knows? They could suddenly develop the best engine in 2026, and Alonso could be world champion for Red Bull! Wouldn’t that be a story!
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