Max Verstappen just lately confirmed that he’d be staying at Crimson Bull for the 2026 System 1 season, however a legend of the game claims that ‘secret negotiations’ with Ferrari have taken place
System 1 legend and ex-team boss Giancarlo Minardi claims that Ferrari are making a surprising bid to signal Max Verstappen. Ferrari shocked the F1 world final 12 months by snapping up seven-time drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton.
Now Verstappen, 27, is reportedly of their sights, regardless of confirming in July that he’ll be staying at Crimson Bull for the 2026 season after having talks with Mercedes. “I believe it is time to mainly cease all of the rumours, and for me it is at all times been fairly clear that I used to be staying anyway,” the Dutchman stated forward of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
However that hasn’t stopped hypothesis surrounding his future. In keeping with Minardi, founding father of the F1 staff by the identical identify, the Scuderia have “made strikes” for Verstappen, who plans to drive a Ferrari in GT racing later this month.
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The previous F1 supervisor informed motorsport.it: “I imagine Ferrari has made strikes in that route. As for whether or not he’ll come, I believe his personal phrases – ‘I am going as a result of I need to win’ – despatched fairly a unfavourable sign towards Ferrari.
”In latest months, there’s been a variety of discuss, even secret negotiations, driver swaps that by no means went anyplace, so something is feasible. I believe Ferrari is attempting.”
Minardi’s feedback come after ex-Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine urged Verstappen to affix the Scuderia, telling the four-time world champion to not ‘go away it too late’ like Hamilton, who’s had a troublesome first season in purple.
Irvine, who raced for Ferrari throughout 4 seasons from 1996 to 1999, would even prefer to see Verstappen and Hamilton driving as team-mates.
“Again in my day, you had Michael [Schumacher] come, he was seen as by far the quickest driver,” Irvine informed Sky Sports activities. “Due to that, Rory Byrne got here, Ross [Brawn] got here, and that complete staff was constructed round the truth that Michael was one other world.
A bit like Verstappen is now, the place if Verstappen went someplace, he may take lots of people. With out the entire system collectively, everybody’s, , on the identical degree. It is powerful, System 1’s powerful.
“Michael gave up quite a bit. Like, Michael in all probability gave up two, three, perhaps much more world championships to go away Benetton to go [to Ferrari] as a result of the primary few years, individuals don’t know how unhealthy it was at Ferrari.
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“Michael, he knew there was no level for him. He was so a lot better than everybody else. He simply determined, ‘I will go there. I will see what I can do,’ which was superb. And he received there.
“However individuals overlook, it took 4 years. He was at all times within the neighborhood, but it surely was simply that you can see he was driving the wheels off the factor to try to be there. So, it was very straightforward for it to not occur.
“I might love Verstappen to come back to Ferrari. I believe the 2 of them collectively could be sensational. I hope he would not go away it too late like Lewis did.”
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