Max's new team?

Max's new team?

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Discussion

spikyone

1,674 posts

111 months

Wednesday 12th March
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bergclimber34 said:
I simply re-iterate after listening to a lot of drivers on pods not necessarily from F1, that salary is a far more important aspect than people think, you seem to think they would drive for free, I dont believe that for one second. Maybe the elite few, but they have earned stack anyway so it is a different meaning to them.

Any sport is the same
There is a world of difference between a driver pushing for the best salary they can get, and it being a motivator in their decision making. No driver is going to sacrifice car performance for money.

That aside, the part I've bolded is completely at odds with your assertion in two separate posts that it's behind Max and Lewis's decision making - two of the very best drivers of their era, who are both already wealthy enough to essentially do as they please.

jamesson

3,286 posts

232 months

Wednesday 12th March
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TheDeuce said:
jamesson said:
I seem to recall Senna offered to drive for Williams for free because he wanted the best car. Or am I mistaken?
More to the point, what about all those that have PAID to drive!
Good point hehe

bergclimber34

689 posts

4 months

Thursday 13th March
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The point being with teh above post is that Senna had already earned huge sums so was prepared to give that up to drive for free. He would already earn from personal sponsors so it was a s mistruth

The idea that money is not the biggest motivator to an existing world champion is largely folly because no matter who they are, invariably the fact that you are a WC commands a huge salary anyway.

The best example of this not being the case is Kimi at Lotus who did not earn a big salary but managed to negotiate a huge win and points bonus, would he have been as quick in that car were this not the case? I am fairly sure he would not.

Win bonuses, etc all pay a big part in any sport and F1 is no different.

Bo_apex

3,284 posts

229 months

Thursday 13th March
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Byker28i said:
Max will go to wherever he thinks will offer him the best car, and who will offer him the unwavering support that Horner does currently

Edited by Byker28i on Tuesday 11th March 11:28
Every single driver on the grid wants that same dynamic.
The deciding margins between who achieves their desires and who doesn't are always wafer thin.
The true greats manage to create their own destiny, and its great to observe.

MustangGT

12,752 posts

291 months

Friday 14th March
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Bo_apex said:
The true greats manage to create their own destiny, and its great to observe.
Indeed, Lewis Hamilton is a probably the best example of this.

HardtopManual

2,594 posts

177 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
I'll upset some people on here by saying that I don't think Max is a "choose your seat" driver.

He has not yet proven that he can operate in a team where he does not have number 1 status. There aren't many teams that structure their driver line up in that way.

Despite the multiple WDCs, he has not yet proven himself against a quality teammate, and in situations where he came up against a quality opponent in another car, regularly loses both his temper and his driving ability.

Max isn't stupid and will be aware of that, which is why talks about early retirement from F1.

MustangGT

12,752 posts

291 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
HardtopManual said:
I'll upset some people on here by saying that I don't think Max is a "choose your seat" driver.

He has not yet proven that he can operate in a team where he does not have number 1 status. There aren't many teams that structure their driver line up in that way.

Despite the multiple WDCs, he has not yet proven himself against a quality teammate, and in situations where he came up against a quality opponent in another car, regularly loses both his temper and his driving ability.

Max isn't stupid and will be aware of that, which is why talks about early retirement from F1.
I fully agree with this, Max has yet to prove himself in two ways:

1) Against an equal team-mate.
2) In a car that is not vastly superior to the others.

Muzzer79

11,520 posts

198 months

Friday 14th March
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HardtopManual said:
I'll upset some people on here by saying that I don't think Max is a "choose your seat" driver.
I'm not upset by it - I don't particularly like him

However, he is a choose-your-seat driver.

He's a 4-time world champion who is regarded (subjectively) by many in the paddock as the best on the grid

Were he to indicate his availability, he could walk into any seat on the grid.

As for this

HardtopManual said:
Max isn't stupid and will be aware of that, which is why talks about early retirement from F1.
He talks about early retirement in the context of achieving everything he set out to achieve and stepping off a train that sees you on an aircraft for 9 months of the year.

Not because he thinks he won't get a seat outside of Red Bull....

Edited by Muzzer79 on Friday 14th March 15:15

deadslow

8,415 posts

234 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
MustangGT said:
HardtopManual said:
I'll upset some people on here by saying that I don't think Max is a "choose your seat" driver.

He has not yet proven that he can operate in a team where he does not have number 1 status. There aren't many teams that structure their driver line up in that way.

Despite the multiple WDCs, he has not yet proven himself against a quality teammate, and in situations where he came up against a quality opponent in another car, regularly loses both his temper and his driving ability.

Max isn't stupid and will be aware of that, which is why talks about early retirement from F1.
I fully agree with this, Max has yet to prove himself in two ways:

1) Against an equal team-mate.
2) In a car that is not vastly superior to the others.
Max will get no sleep tonight after hearing two random Lewis fans are just not convinced.

Ed Banger

1,564 posts

219 months

Friday 14th March
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MustangGT said:
I fully agree with this, Max has yet to prove himself in two ways:

1) Against an equal team-mate.
2) In a car that is not vastly superior to the others.
1) They can't find one!
2) The races before 2021 and last season not good examples?

He might race like an 18 year old at a max power meet but I think he's deserved the right to be considered the fastest out there.

HardtopManual

2,594 posts

177 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
deadslow said:
MustangGT said:
HardtopManual said:
I'll upset some people on here by saying that I don't think Max is a "choose your seat" driver.

He has not yet proven that he can operate in a team where he does not have number 1 status. There aren't many teams that structure their driver line up in that way.

Despite the multiple WDCs, he has not yet proven himself against a quality teammate, and in situations where he came up against a quality opponent in another car, regularly loses both his temper and his driving ability.

Max isn't stupid and will be aware of that, which is why talks about early retirement from F1.
I fully agree with this, Max has yet to prove himself in two ways:

1) Against an equal team-mate.
2) In a car that is not vastly superior to the others.
Max will get no sleep tonight after hearing two random Lewis fans are just not convinced.
Close the forums down, there's no point posting if the drivers aren't reading, apparently, and anything you disagree with just has to be written by a fanboy of The Other Guy.

Some of us just like F1 and have opinions. You want my opinion on Lewis? His greatest achievements (and they are the greatest achievements of anyone in the sport, ever) are behind him.

Max still has a lot to prove it he wants to reach Hamilton/Senna/Prost/Fangio levels of greatness.

bergclimber34

689 posts

4 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
He has nothing to prove to anyone, like any world champion, but he will I am convinced not be here when he is in his mid 30's he will go and do other things

HardtopManual

2,594 posts

177 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
Muzzer79 said:
HardtopManual said:
I'll upset some people on here by saying that I don't think Max is a "choose your seat" driver.
I'm not upset by it - I don't particularly like him

However, he is a choose-your-seat driver.

He's a 4-time world champion who is regarded (subjectively) by many in the paddock as the best on the grid

Were he to indicate his availability, he could walk into any seat on the grid.

As for this

HardtopManual said:
Max isn't stupid and will be aware of that, which is why talks about early retirement from F1.
He talks about early retirement in the context of achieving everything he set out to achieve and stepping off a train that sees you on an aircraft for 9 months of the year.

Not because he thinks he won't get a seat outside of Red Bull....

Edited by Muzzer79 on Friday 14th March 15:15
If he phoned up Vasseur and said "I want to drive a Ferrari next year", do you think he'd be wearing red? I doubt he could even walk into McLaren or Merc.

Jasandjules

70,727 posts

240 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
Ed Banger said:
He might race like an 18 year old at a max power meet but I think he's deserved the right to be considered the fastest out there.
Nope. Not even close. When he does well in a machine that does not have a large pace advantage, come back to me.

MustangGT

12,752 posts

291 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
Ed Banger said:
MustangGT said:
I fully agree with this, Max has yet to prove himself in two ways:

1) Against an equal team-mate.
2) In a car that is not vastly superior to the others.
1) They can't find one!
2) The races before 2021 and last season not good examples?

He might race like an 18 year old at a max power meet but I think he's deserved the right to be considered the fastest out there.
1) Plenty of F1 drivers in that ballpark, 2 at McLaren, 2 at Ferrari, 1 at Aston, 1 at Mercedes, 1 at Williams for a start
2) Not at all, pre 2021 what did he really achieve? No WDC for sure. last year, the RB was vastly superior for half the year, then comparable.

In your final statement you are simplifying too much. You need to be a lot more than just fast to be a great driver. Max is very fast, no doubt about that. He has yet to demonstrate the other qualities needed, such as race craft, strategic planning etc.

spikyone

1,674 posts

111 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
HardtopManual said:
If he phoned up Vasseur and said "I want to drive a Ferrari next year", do you think he'd be wearing red? I doubt he could even walk into McLaren or Merc.
Bit different with Ferrari and McLaren as they have both drivers under contract and both have a very strong lineup. Would Ferrari have booted Sainz for Max (had Max been available instead of Lewis)? I think so.

Would Toto take Max ahead of Russell, if Max wants to go there next season? Again, I think he probably would. If the Antonelli gamble doesn't come off he might even consider running George and Max.

HardtopManual

2,594 posts

177 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
spikyone said:
HardtopManual said:
If he phoned up Vasseur and said "I want to drive a Ferrari next year", do you think he'd be wearing red? I doubt he could even walk into McLaren or Merc.
Bit different with Ferrari and McLaren as they have both drivers under contract and both have a very strong lineup. Would Ferrari have booted Sainz for Max (had Max been available instead of Lewis)? I think so.

Would Toto take Max ahead of Russell, if Max wants to go there next season? Again, I think he probably would. If the Antonelli gamble doesn't come off he might even consider running George and Max.
I don't think Ferrari would have gone for Max over Sainz, but we'll never know. Wolff has cooled on the idea of Max in a Merc since he said they were talking (at Monza?) last year.

DanielSan

19,266 posts

178 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
If I was going to bet money where Msx ends up it'd be Aston Martin. Whether he makes that move for next season or for 27 is the big question. I think he'll give the RB power unit a chance in 26 and make the move for 27

dunc_sx

1,644 posts

208 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
I wouldn't rule out Mercedes, I saw Toto saying he had promised Lewis he wouldn't negotiate with max while Lewis was in the team. Now he's not surely he'll start negotiations.

Saying that I can see max throwing his toys out of the pram if the red bull are slow this year and leaving F1.

Dunc.

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

26,781 posts

77 months

Friday 14th March
quotequote all
dunc_sx said:
I wouldn't rule out Mercedes, I saw Toto saying he had promised Lewis he wouldn't negotiate with max while Lewis was in the team. Now he's not surely he'll start negotiations.

Saying that I can see max throwing his toys out of the pram if the red bull are slow this year and leaving F1.

Dunc.
Toto was and is still probably 50/50 over Max. He's a good driver but he's a difficult choice for a team with the Merc/Toto ethos and I doubt very much Toto wants to share the garage with Verstappen Snr...

But from Max's pov, he doesn't need to stay at RBR or choose a new team for next season, he could very easily take a year out to find out who's got the best PU/car and then go drive for them.

I think it's more likely he'll take a year out or go to AMR than it is he will race for RBR in 2026. If this years car does let him down, I would only be more convinced of that.