Formula 1: Mercedes, Red Bull… This huge revelation about Verstappen’s arrival in F1!
Formula 1
In 2014, Red Bull took Mercedes by surprise by recruiting Max Verstappen when the German team was also interested in the Dutchman. However, this choice was not at all made to annoy Toto Wolff’s team according to Helmut Marko.
The coronation of Max Verstappen in 2021 must certainly have brought its share of regrets on the side of mercedes. Besides the defeat of Lewis Hamilton, which was racing for an eighth world title and a record, the German team above all had the opportunity to recruit Max Verstappen in the past. After a fairly convincing first season in single-seaters in 2014, the Dutchman had attracted the attention of several teams from Formula 1, of which mercedes. The map of Toto Wolff was as follows: to offer a year in Formula 2 in 2015 at Max Verstappen then place it in Manor Where Force-India in 2016. But Red Bull proved to be faster and above all more convincing, despite the great risk of offering a starting place to such a young driver at the time. However, this recruitment was not at all done to annoy mercedes as revealed Helmut Marko.
« Our decision was not to deceive Mercedes »
» Of course, we knew he was talking to Mercedes, but Max certainly wouldn’t have arrived in Formula 1 so quickly at Mercedes. They weren’t ready to take a lot of risks with a newcomer. We were. Red Bull is also different as a business, we are more into the ‘no risk, no fun’ mentality. And you can see it also at Max. But our decision was not to deceive Mercedes, it was mainly because I was 100% convinced that Max was ready for Formula 1. It also became clear afterwards and I must say that we have managed thoroughly in terms of preparation said the head of the young drivers section of Red Bull in comments reported by Nextgen-Auto.
