Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull?
Amidst the sirens coming from other teams in Formula 1 and the hypothesis of taking a sabbatical period away from GPs, the hypothesis that Max Verstappen will soon leave Red Bull seems to be gaining ground. And if many expert former drivers see the Dutch champion away from the team with which he has won 4 world titles and 71 Grand Prix in the top series so far, the Italian Riccardo Patrese now joins them. Speaking with the portal BettingLounge, the 72-year-old from Padua said he was sure that by the end of the year Super Max will make his decision, and that he will leave Milton Keynes anyway.
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Riccardo Patrese speaks
“If Lambiase leaves – he explains – it means that Max Verstappen will also leave Red Bull next year. He doesn’t feel very comfortable, so, at the end of this season, he will probably make his move. Max, first of all, must enjoy driving these cars. But it’s obvious that he doesn’t like it at all and he is a quite resolute person whom I believe when he says ‘if I don’t enjoy it, then I’ll leave F1‘. He has already achieved satisfaction and great milestones in this sport, he has proven to be the best, and so on. If F1 changes and he finds a good feeling again, then he will continue, otherwise he could very well change category. He really likes GT races. He’s fed up, that’s for sure”.
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“Yes, F1 is the ultimate achievement in motorsport – Patrese added – but he is already a four-time world champion. His bank account is full enough to allow him to live well for the rest of his life. So, he can do whatever he wants. In my day, earnings were not as high as they are now, but money was not what we thought about anyway. We liked to drive and we liked the challenge of F1. Now what is the challenge for a driver with these cars? The car does everything by itself, accelerates by itself to recover energy and then have extra power to overtake on the straight. You have to lift your foot to recharge the battery. It is totally against the philosophy of a driver. Max Verstappen wants to experience pleasure in driving”.
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