11/04/2025 08:20
Former Red Bull head of operations Richard Hopkins has proposed a
theory that Max Verstappen has a detail in his contract which gives
the Dutchman "a say" over who partners him. The reigning world
champion already has a second different driver alongside him this
season, following Red Bull's shock decision to swap Liam Lawson and
Yuki Tsunoda. Since Daniel Ricciardo left the Milton Keynes-based
outfit at the end of 2018, Verstappen has been team-mates with five
different drivers, none of which have gotten close to him.
Ricciardo was the last Red Bull driver to consistently push the
four-time world champion, with all the others having struggled
against Verstappen's superiority. Verstappen is the clear number
one driver at the Austrian team, although Hopkins is confident that
Red Bull would rather a set up similar to McLaren of having two
stars close together. Whether there is a detail in Verstappen's
contract is unknown, with Hopkins raising the theory based on his
belief that even the 27-year-old would want someone stronger next
to him. "I don't see Red Bull bringing in a clear number two
driver," Hopkins told Prime Casino . "Max clearly wants all the
focus on him and doesn't need a team-mate challenging him. "On the
other hand, having two equal drivers as McLaren does is a key part
of their rapid rise. They push each other, which in turn pushes the
team to deliver more. This competitive environment can drive faster
overall improvement. "It's possible that Max has something in his
contract giving him a say in who his team-mate is like how other
drivers, such as Michael Schumacher and Nigel Mansell had in the
past. "While it might not be formally written, I'm sure Max has a
verbal opinion on the matter. He'd likely prefer someone of higher
quality than what he's seen recently. "In short, I'd much rather
have the challenge of balancing two strong drivers than dealing
with a clear hierarchy that creates issues."
