Fernando Alonso said earlier on Thursday that, despite all the stories, he does not see Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull Racing. In the press conference prior to the Japanese Grand Prix, the Dutchman was confronted with the statement of the 2005 and 2006 world champion and had a witty answer.
Due to the drama surrounding Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and the alleged power struggle within the Austrian team, there is plenty of speculation about Verstappen’s future in the championship formation. The three-time world champion is frequently mentioned as the successor to Lewis Hamilton, who is leaving for Ferrari, at Mercedes and team boss Toto Wolff also misses no opportunity to make it clear that the door at the German team is open for the Dutchman. In addition, Verstappen’s name is also mentioned in the same breath as that of Aston Martin, Alonso’s current team.
If Verstappen leaves Red Bull, Alonso could, according to rumors, take the place of the reigning world champion at the Austrian racing team, which has won the past two constructors’ titles. However, the Spaniard stated that he is absolutely not thinking about such a switch, because he does not believe that Verstappen will close the Red Bull door behind him.
Verstappen confronted with Alonso statements
During the press conference, Verstappen was then confronted with the statements of the two-time world champion. A British journalist wanted to know if Alonso was right and if not, what factors would determine his future. Verstappen had a nice answer to that. “It all depends on whether I want to drive next year or not,” the Red Bull driver repeats the sentence that Alonso uses as standard when asked about his future. Verstappen then immediately stated that he was in a good place with his current employer.
