Fernando Alonso’s name has been featured heavily in multiple reports, which are linking him to a Red Bull move. However, veteran F1 journalist Peter Windsor does not think that is a smart move. Instead, Windsor feels that Lewis Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate could be a perfect partner for Max Verstappen.
Between 2017 and 2021, Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes was Valtteri Bottas. The Finn played the role of a second driver perfectly. He racked up 10 wins during his stay in Brackley but assisted Hamilton several times on the latter’s championship charges.
“Valtteri Bottas is someone who would do very well in that seat,” Windsor said, as quoted by GP Blog.” He is quieter than Perez. Not faster than Lewis, Charles or Max (Verstappen), but faster than Perez. I would make an offer with him.”
The main reason Windsor brings this up is because it is heavily rumored that Perez could be on his way out of Red Bull. The Mexican driver has not been performing well this season, with his Red Bull teammate scoring more than double the points he has.
Could Max Verstappen get a new teammate in 2024?
Over the last few months, Red Bull bosses Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have both insisted that Perez’s seat is safe until at least 2024. Still, almost every weekend, his sub-optimal performances seem to cast a doubt in the minds of Red Bull’s management.
According to Windsor, there are multiple drivers that could be chosen to replace the Guadalajara-born driver. Some of the names he mentioned were Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and even Nico Hulkenberg.
However, when it comes to playing the role of a second driver, there are very few as good as Valtteri Bottas. It would be extremely difficult for the Finn to challenge Max Verstappen of course. But Windsor is adamant that he can do a better job than Perez is doing at the moment.
Currently, Bottas is 15th in the drivers’ championship standings. The Alfa Romeo driver has 10 points to his name, with two races to go this year.
