Verstappen to Ferrari? Three-time world champion could fulfill a dream
The three-time champion admits he wants President Elkann to call him
It is a declaration of love for the future, because Max Verstappen isn’t the first and will not be the last to dream of driving for Ferrari, no matter how many titles he has.
Of the recent greats, neither Senna nor Hamilton made it (the first tried very seriously shortly before his fatal accident, as Luca Di Montezemolo confessed), Alonso and Vettel did.
Now there is Verstappen, who isn’t shy to talk about Maranello.
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“I know that Ferrari has an incredible history in Formula 1 and is an incredible team to compete with,” the three-time world champion, all with Red Bull, the team with which he has a contract until 2028, said a few days ago.
“I know that when the current contract comes to an end I will be 31 years old and I am quite convinced that I will still be able to do great things”.
Maranello is a place he holds dear given his tastes.
“I would like to keep for my personal collection the three cars with which I have been world champion, but also Michael Schumacher’s F2004,” he acknowledges, a piece so expensive, that of the German’s seventh title, that not even Vettel, who drove for the Scuderia, could buy it.
“It’s an incredible car… but I don’t know where to buy it,” he assured Sportweek.
“Yes, it’s an appeal to John Elkann (current president). I hope he reads this interview and calls me,” he said. He is certainly in love with the rival brand, since in January he bought a Ferrari SF90 Stradale worth half a million euros, which he added to the Monza SP2 he already had in the garage.
“If it happens, it will happen,” Max assured in May, “but I’m very happy where I am and, personally, I have no desire to drive for a team at all costs, it will depend on how things go and if I’m as happy as I am now at Red Bull.”
The former president Montezemolo acknowledged this past weekend that he likes Verstappen very much and revealed that “we have followed him since he competed in karting championships, he is very brave, I like him”.
The only clear negative voice ever heard at Ferrari about landing Verstappen came in 2019 from then CEO Louis Camilleri: “No. Someone who expresses himself in that way can not end up at Ferrari, we did not answer him not to give him more visibility, why listen to a 22-year-old kid?
Max Verstappen heads to Austin, Texas looking to claim his third straight victory around COTA, having beaten Lewis Hamilton to the punch in both 2021 and 2022. Should the Dutchman take the flag in first, it will be his 15th triumph of the 2023 Formula 1 season as he continues his conquest of motorsport’s premier class.
The weekend is another sprint weekend, meaning that there will be one practice session before qualifying for Sunday takes place on Friday.
