The four-time world champion has endured an up-and-down season so far, claiming four podiums but still searching for his first victory, despite coming close in Austria. His campaign has also been affected by a series of incidents caused by issues with the rear wing active aero mechanism, some of which have cost him valuable points in the championship. Verstappen currently sits sixth in the standings heading into the summer break.
Speaking to F1.com, the Brazilian admitted that it is difficult to assess Verstappen’s situation without knowing the details of his relationship with Red Bull or the team’s plans for next year. Fittipaldi praised Verstappen’s ability to extract more from the car and highlighted the strong loyalty he has shown towards Red Bull, something he particularly appreciates given his own preference for spending several years with the same team.
“It’s always difficult to give an opinion on what’s going on. I don’t know his relationship. I don’t know what they are doing for next year. Max is an incredible talent. He carries his car on his back.”
However, he acknowledged that a departure remains possible and believes such a move would trigger a game of musical chairs across the grid, potentially reshaping the driver market and creating further uncertainty over where several drivers could end up.
“I think he has a big loyalty to the team, and I like that. I always liked to run many years on a team, as much as I could go. I think he has this loyalty. But possibly, he can leave. If that happened, it would be musical chairs. It’s going to move everybody. I think this part of F1 is exciting. The fans, ‘Who’s going to be [there]? Where are they going?’ It’s part of the sport.”
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
McLaren warned against Verstappen signing: ‘Why rock the boat?’
The Finn feels there would be little reason to change a driver line-up that already features two highly competitive drivers, particularly when maintaining harmony within the team can play such an important role in achieving long-term success.