From Sergio Perez’s Red Bull exit to Helmut Marko’s, it is now Max Verstappen’s turn to leave Red Bull with rumours the driver will be switching to AlphaTauri for the final races of the championship.
But unfortunately for his rivals, like the other rumours that have been doing the rounds regarding Red Bull, this one is not true.
Red Bull have had an interesting season when it comes to Formula 1’s rumour mill, the reigning World Champions dogged by one after the other.
Max Verstappen to AlphaTauri?
But while the bulk has been centred around Perez and him losing his seat with everyone from Daniel Ricciardo to Fernando Alonso to Lando Norris replacing him, it is now the other Red Bull driver who is out.
Nearing the end of an epic season in which he has won 16 Grands Prix, four sprints and the World title, Verstappen, it is being said, will finish out the season with AlphaTauri in a bid to improve their position in the standings.
Up from tenth to eighth with Ricciardo’s P7 at the Mexican Grand Prix, AlphaTauri are 12 points behind Williams with seventh place, and a few added millions, on the line.
Verstappen, though, will not be relinquishing his RB19 in favour of the AT04.
Asked by Sky Sports F1 about the rumour he might jump into the AlphaTauri, he laughed and simply replied: “Luckily, I didn’t see them and I didn’t read them.”
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One rumour, though, that is not so bizarre is the one that has persisted all season about Sergio Perez’s race seat being under threat with Ricciardo set to replace him.
Although Helmut Marko insisted on the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix that the 33-year-old would continue with Red Bull next season “regardless of the results”, it is a rumour that just refuses to die down.
Asked who he prefers as a team-mate, Perez or Ricciardo, Verstappen made it clear he is not voicing his thoughts one way or the other, and that “thankfully” that decision is above his pay grade.
“I always find with these kind of things whatever I respond people take it out of context,” he said, “because I have a great relationship with Checo and if that stays for the coming year also fine, like that’s great.
“Of course, Daniel, he’s in AlphaTauri and he’s hoping of course to get into Red Bull. If he will be my team-mate we also get along very well. We have a lot of history together and that would work fine as well.
“But luckily, it’s also not up to me to decide these kinds of things.”
The 25-year-old also weighed in on the constant barrage of rumours that has been levelled at Perez, that gathering momentum after his lap 1 retirement in Mexico, but says he doubts they bother the Mexican driver all that much.
“Of course, he was disappointed about the last race but that’s life as well. That happens in Formula One, you move on,” he said.
“I think with the rumours as well, like you just don’t really pay attention.
“He’s having already a very long career so I think he’s kind of ‘rumours oh whatever’. I don’t think they do a lot to you, because you just focus on your job and you try to get the best result when you get in the car.”
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
