Max Verstappen has become an influential figure at Red Bull because of the relationship he has built with the team. He joined Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) back in 2014 as a reserve driver before moving to the senior Red Bull team in 2016. Now that the Dutchman has been with the Milton Keynes outfit for almost a decade, there are speculations that he is in a position of power to decide who he would like as his teammate. In a recent interview with Bloomberg Television, the 25-year-old revealed how much of a say he has on such issues.
While Verstappen’s future seems settled at Red Bull, the same cannot be said about his teammate, Sergio Perez. Since the Mexican has been massively inconsistent this season, several experts have raised doubts about his future.
These experts have already begun talking about potential replacements. Some of the names include McLaren’s Lando Norris, AlphaTauri’s new signing Daniel Ricciardo, or his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
Can Max Verstappen decide Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull?
In a recent interview with Bloomberg Television, Verstappen was asked if he was now in a position to decide who he wants as his teammate. In reply, the Dutchman stated, “Well, this is always up to the bosses and the team“.
However, he did add, “Of course, I am a team member now for a long time. And of course things you know, you talk about stuff. But I am not the one who is telling them what to do or deciding things. At the end of the day, I need to focus on my job and that’s to try and drive as quick as I can every single weekend“.
After Verstappen’s initial response, the interviewers then asked him about his relationship with Sergio Perez. In reply, the two-time champion explained how the two are very close. Verstappen stated that the two are very similar in the way they approach their lives outside of F1.
Hence, he believes that he enjoys discussing about the same with Perez when they are not competing against each other. However, the question still remains about how much longer will the 33-year-old stay at Red Bull amidst his poor form.
Helmut Marko changes his stance on Sergio Perez’s future
Even though Helmut Marko has always been supportive of Sergio Perez and pointed out how the Mexican has survived for two seasons with Max Verstappen as his teammate, the Austrian does not seem to show the same reassurance any longer. In a recent interview, the 80-year-old made it clear about how there are no guarantees in F1.
Soon after Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed Perez’s seat for 2024, Marko told Kleine Zeitung, “Nothing is 100 percent certain in Formula 1, it just doesn’t exist. There are always performance-related situations somewhere that need to be discussed“.
Similarly, in another interview with oe24.at, Marko pointed out how there is no “job guarantee” in F1. He believes that Perez only has a “contractual guarantee,” but that the Mexican still needs to meet expectations to ensure that he keeps his job. It is this reason why Perez’s future continues to be up in the air.
