Vitantonio Liuzzi knows the Red Bull world well, having raced there at its inception in 2005, and he knows what it means to live a Formula 1 where a champion becomes the center of a project. Max Verstappen’s renewal until 2030 with the drink team, announced before the home weekend in Zandvoort (today free practice at 12:30, Sprint qualifying at 16:30 with live TV on Sky Sport and Tv8), opens a long-term perspective, but also raises questions about the future of the top teams.
Verstappen stays at Red Bull: is it the right choice?
“It’s premature. There are many changes within Red Bull, but in my opinion, he will remain in one of the top teams for the future. Max feels good, he is in the family and is the undisputed leader.”
More of a forced choice, since the other seats were occupied, or a convinced decision?
“I don’t think it was forced. Any team would have opened the doors, since Max has shown he can make a difference.”
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What could have convinced him?
“Laurent Mekies (Red Bull team principal, ed.) is showing he doesn’t want to give up and pushes the team to the extreme to become the one that has won many World Championships again. He has a winning mentality and passes it on to Max.”
Could the regulations of the coming years, more favorable to the internal combustion engine, have weighed in?
“Surely it is one of the reasons why he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately, the electric component will decrease and F1 will become more real again. This should favor Red Bull. At the start of the season Max was very opposed to the new regulations and the fact that they were revised was a help.”
Toto Wolff and Andrea Stella, team principals of Mercedes and McLaren, have questioned the many innovations brought by Ferrari. According to them, between the lines, the team would be violating the budget cap limit. What is your opinion?
“They are just talk, everything will be seen at the end of the season. Ferrari wanted and had to work more in the first part because it was worse off on the engine side. So it may have invested earlier and maybe will have to pull back later. As Vasseur says: the calculations are done by the FIA.”
Lewis Hamilton, rejuvenated this year, says he wants to plan a future of at least five years with Ferrari. Would it have been better to bet on Verstappen?
“Lewis is one of the greatest champions in history and Ferrari is right to still bet on him. Last year was difficult, but this year he is assimilating the car better and can fight for the World Championship.”
However, there is an Andrea Kimi Antonelli very tough to face, did you expect him immediately in the fight for the World Championship?
“Difficult to predict before, he was very good at being in the right place at the right time. He has great chances of winning.”
In the battle against Ferrari, should Mercedes already think about team orders?
“It’s early, Russell will never give up. But if Ferrari or McLaren reduce the gap, at some point a decision will have to be made and much will depend on George’s willingness.”
Carlos Sainz has renewed with Williams, now is he at risk of being trapped in a team that doesn’t take off before the twilight of his career?
“There were few valid alternatives on the market. However, Williams has solid foundations and a good working group. It’s true that Carlos missed the Ferrari train and now finds himself in a difficult situation.”
At Aston Martin, instead, Fernando Alonso is at the end of his career and hoped for a car that is now the tail-ender of the grid.
“It’s a shame to see him in this situation. If he had had the car from his first year at Aston Martin, we would be talking about several podiums today. I see him closer to retirement, but Adrian Newey (team ds) has accustomed us to surprises: maybe in 2027 he will come up with a magic car.”
