"Do you, as team boss, dare to put them side by side in one team?"

It’s the main topic today; the departure of Honda from Formula 1. The next question is what will this mean for the future of Max Verstappen. Tom Coronel answers this last question on Motorsport.com; What will Verstappen do?

Trust in Red Bull

Verstappen has a multi-year contract with Red Bull, but it is now clear that it also contains a number of escape clauses. Coronel thinks there is only one way for Red Bull to retain Verstappen: "Then they have to come up with a seriously good plan. There is only one thing the fan club around Max wants, and that is to become world champion. So he will always go for the best package, a package that can make him world champion". The question then is whether Red Bull Racing are still the right team for Verstappen. "At the moment they don't have the best package and building something up with another engine supplier takes time."

Moreover, a new engine supplier is not ready to join Formula 1, which makes Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault the only options for Red Bull, the latter actually appearing to be the only realistic option. "Look, Renault did not win any races on its own, so they needed another team to win. I think Abiteboul is having such a mean smile at the moment", concludes Coronel.

Transfer to Mercedes

Mercedes currently has the best package, according to Coronel in the interview, but can Verstappen make the switch to Mercedes? "Well, that's not up to me," continues Coronel. "What I do know is that Max is still one of the two 'hot boys' in Formula 1. Everyone knows that you can only become world champion with two men, with Hamilton and with Max. So tell me, dare you, as team boss, put them next to each other in one team".