McLaren warned against Verstappen signing: 'Why rock the boat?'

Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Hakkinen said McLaren's philosophy has always been to prioritise the overall strength of the team, believing that long-term success comes from building a strong team spirit and maintaining harmony within the garage.

The two-time world champion explained that, if it were his decision, he would avoid taking unnecessary risks by changing a driver line-up that is already working well. In his view, there is little reason to disrupt the balance when a team already has two top-class drivers, pointing to McLaren's long-standing stability during his own time with the team as proof of the value of continuity.

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger believes Red Bull deserves significant credit for the progress it has made since embarking on its own engine project. While acknowledging that the team has encountered early setbacks, he argued that such difficulties are to be expected when developing a power unit from scratch and expects Red Bull to return to the front in the near future.

Speaking to F1.com, Berger praised the scale of Red Bull's achievement, saying it is remarkable that the team has managed to challenge established manufacturers such as Mercedes and Ferrari so soon after launching its own engine programme.

The Austrian also highlighted Verstappen's importance to the project, describing the four-time world champion as an exceptional driver and the key figure in Red Bull's future. Berger believes Verstappen should continue backing the team, adding that, with a few more key hires, Red Bull could become highly competitive again within the next six to twelve months.

He added that many people underestimate how challenging it is to build a brand-new engine programme, insisting that reliability issues are a natural part of the process. Although he admitted the current problems are frustrating, including those involving the car's wing, he pointed out that Red Bull is far from the only team dealing with reliability concerns.