Red Bull Racing

SOURCES in Germany say that Max Verstappen’s management team are having talks with Mercedes following this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.Verstappen’s dad, Jos, and his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, are expected to meet the three owners of the F1 team; Toto Wolff, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius, and Ineos and Manchester United shareholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.Max Verstappen is set to hold talks with Mercedes after the Miami GPCredit: ReutersA meeting is set to take place with Verstappen’s team and senior Mercedes figures including Toto WolffCredit: GettyWolff has made no secret of the fact he would love to sign Verstappen as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.Verstappen, 26, is under contract at Red Bull until 2028.But boss Christian Horner has said he will not stand in his way if he wants to quit.Verstappen Sr has admitted they are considering the three-time champion’s options before the 2026 regulation change. READ MORE IN F1Speaking during the Rally de Wallonie, via RacingNews365, he said: “I think everyone wants him, only I think Max is right for the moment.”He has a fast car, but we also have to look further to 2026, so we are letting everything come to us at the moment. We stay very calm and see what will happen.”WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

On talk of signing Verstappen, Wolff said in Shanghai, China: “There are so many factors that play a role for a driver joining.”Clearly when you look at it from the most rational point of view, you can say: ‘That’s the quickest car in the hands of the quickest driver’. But I don’t think this is the only reason you stay where you are.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“I think, for simple minds, that might be the only reason why you stay in a car and that’s it but maybe there are more depths for some people that consider other factors too. I think that Max has that.”In that respect, are we able to convince him? I don’t think it’s a matter of convincing. The Sun’s Ben Hunt reveals his five greatest Formula One Drivers Ever – with Michael Schumacher in between two Brits”I think that Max knows motor racing better than anyone, he will take decisions that he feels are good for him.”I think a few factors play a role, but he’s the one that is going to trigger some more domino stones to fall in afterward. Everybody is waiting for what he’s going to do.”The Horner-storm which has surrounded the team has been cited as a key factor in reports suggesting car designer Adrian Newey could leave the team amid heavy links to Ferrari and Aston Martin.The internal power struggle at the team also saw advisor Helmut Marko placed under investigation, which is said to have left Verstappen angered and ready to leave if Marko was axed. Jos Verstappen, right, has previously hinted at his son leaving Red BullCredit: PAVerstappen threw his support behind his dad and advisor Helmut Marko when the latter’s job appeared to be threatened earlier this seasonCredit: GettyCare designer Adrian Newey is said to have been left uncomfortable following the Christian Horner storm earlier this seasonCredit: PAVerstappen said at the time: “I am loyal to Helmut. “He is a big and important part in my decision making and important he stays within the team including everyone else.”It is important we keep people together because if an important pillar falls away, that is not good for my career as well.”So for me, Helmut has to stay. He has built this team with [Red Bull co-founder] Dietrich Mateschitz from day one and been loyal.Inside track on Hamilton’s lifeLEWIS HAMILTON has driven his way into pole position as Formula One’s most prolific winner.
“You need to give the man respect for what he has done and that  comes back to loyalty and integrity and is important to why he stays part of the team.”British racing icon Johnny Herbert then suggested a Verstappen-Mercedes deal was edging closer last month. READ MORE SUN STORIESHe told The Sun: “They’re very close to pushing [Max Verstappen] out of the team, I’ve heard they are getting quite close with the deal with Mercedes.”Nico Hulkenberg is the latest F1 star to confirm their position on the grid next season after picking up a seat with Sauber, opening the door for Haas to sign Brit teen Oliver Bearman.🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁  More

MAX VERSTAPPEN has slammed F1 ahead of the return of the Chinese GP after a four-year absence.The Shanghai International Circuit was last used in 2019 when Lewis Hamilton won the race.Max Verstappen wants more than one hour to practice at the Chinese GPCredit: SplashDespite the drivers not visiting the track for almost half a decade, F1 officials are only allowing them one hour to practice.The circuit had been a regular fixture on the calendar, however, when the pandemic disrupted world sport it was removed.It makes its return this weekend and will include a sprint race.With the new schedule, drivers will start the weekend with their practice hour before sprint qualifying.READ MORE ON MOTORSPORTOn Saturday, there will be a sprint race, and then qualifying with the Grand Prix on Sunday.However, the decision to limit practice to just one hour has proved to be an unpopular decision amongst the drivers.When asked about the situation, Red Bull star Verstappen could only give a sarcastic response.He said: “Yeah, it’s very smart to do that!”Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSHe continued: “I think it’s not great, let’s say like that, to do that.”Because when you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you’re going to experience, right?The Sun’s Ben Hunt reveals his five greatest Formula One Drivers Ever – with Michael Schumacher in between two Brits”So it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there.”But on the other hand, it probably spices things up a bit more, and that’s maybe what they would like to see.”But yeah, purely from a driving perspective, performance perspective of the sport, I think it’s not the smartest thing to do.”Verstappen’s sentiments were echoed by Ferrari star Carlos Sainz.He added: “It’s just a great racing track and a track that offers a good possibility to overtake, so a Sprint makes sense to have it there.”At the same time, it’s what we said in the drivers’ briefing.READ MORE SUN STORIES”We say to FIA and Formula One, with these kinds of cars to go to a track with one hour of practice and straight into qualifying, with the regulations that they put us, with the plank wear and things like this, and how tricky one bump could make the car.”I think it’s not a good choice to choose to put the Sprint after four or five years absence.”🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁  More

MAX VERSTAPPEN bounced back from his early exit in Oz to take pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix while Lewis Hamilton was encouraged by Mercedes’ progress. The Red Bull ace was quickest at Suzuka and edged out his team-mate Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who were second and third respectively.Lewis Hamilton was encouraged by Mercedes progress as he out-qualified George Russell for the first time this seasonCredit: GettyMax Verstappen claimed pole in JapanCredit: GettyHamilton said the car was ‘enjoyable driving’Credit: ReutersVerstappen, 26, had dominated qualifying but a late surge from Perez saw him close the gap to within 0.066 seconds.Hamilton qualified in seventh – the first time he has outdone team-mate George Russell this season – but said he was still encouraged by his team’s progress after telling them not to “eff it up”.He said: “I was giving it everything. “The team did a really great job this past week making adjustments to our set-up – this is actually the first weekend I’ve not gone crazy with set-up and am not testing a bunch of things, so I’m back to a bit more normal.READ MORE IN F1″I think we’ve got the car into a much nicer working window and so it’s been really enjoyable driving, it’s just the guys are just a little bit faster.”We were a second or just over a second off last year to the Red Bull and seven tenths is better.”Maybe if we had done something a little bit different maybe we could have been another tenth faster, maybe, but other than that that was everything.”Meanwhile, Verstappen – who retired in Melbourne with brake failure – said: “It was quite close at the end. Overall, this track is very sensitive with the tyres.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”The tarmac is really aggressive and when you want to go to the limit it doesn’t always work out.”Nevertheless, most importantly it’s to be on pole. Of course you want every lap to be perfect but around a track like this, it’s not always the case.The Sun’s Ben Hunt reveals his five greatest Formula One Drivers Ever – with Michael Schumacher in between two Brits”Overall, a very good day and a good starting position for tomorrow and tomorrow is what counts.”It’s great as a team to be P1 and P2. Hopefully we can keep that going for tomorrow.”Perez added: “It was close, really close with Max. It felt like a good lap.”It was quite tricky out there actually, especially closing out the laps.”It was quite easy to lose a couple of tenths into the last section and into the chicane, so we hooked it all together. Unfortunately it was not quite enough.”Russell was down in ninth place and added: “It’s just so tight out there between ourselves, McLaren, Aston Martin and Ferrari.READ MORE SUN STORIES”If you nail that lap, you will be at the front of that pack, if you don’t, you will be at the back.”I think it will be a good race. If you do a good job and nail it, you will jump three, four, five positions and compared to last year that would be one position.”🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁  More