F1’s young gun, Max Verstappen has defied expectations, earning a quick promotion from Scuderia Toro Rosso to the Red Bull Racing team early on last season. But now he making be heading for the door.
Rumor has it that the young Dutch driver could be headed to Ferrari, ostensibly to replace Kimi Raikkonen – and leaving Red Bull behind altogether.
Though the Red Bull team was once considered a front-running team, its performance has lagged in recent years, and its cars have been plagued with reliability issues this season as the team struggles to rediscover its former form.
The promise of a better car is what lead Sebastian Vettel to leave Red Bull for Ferrari at the end of 2014, and The Independent believes Verstappen could join him next season. Word around the paddock reportedly has it that Max has asked his current employers to release him from his contract at the end of this year so he can make the switch.
Filling the seat currently, Raikkonen won Ferrari its last world championship, but despite a strong performance at Monaco this year, hasn’t won a grand prix since the beginning of 2013. If he doesn’t prove his worth by the end of this season, he’ll likely be shown the door again – just like in 2009 when Ferrari asked him to make room for Fernando Alonso.
The Drive notes Bernie Ecclestone’s opinion that Ferrari should try to get Alonso back on board again. The two-time champ might very well jump at the opportunity after three years of frustration with the Honda engines at McLaren, but the scarlet Scuderia may opt for younger talent instead of replacing one aging former champ with another.
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