Ahead of next week's opening race in Bahrain, Max Verstappen discussed who he would sign if he had his own racing team. It's unlikely we'll see him in a management role, as he has explicitly stated he doesn't see himself as Christian Horner's successor after his racing days are over, but he still has a theoretical favorite pairing.
Max Verstappen has revealed the two Formula 1 drivers he would sign to his own race team, ahead of next week’s season-opening race in Bahrain. In reality, it is unlikely the Red Bull driver will ever be in a position to select a driver line-up after ruling out the idea of becoming a team principal post-retirement, insisting he is no heir to Christian Horner. Still, the Formula One champion does have a dream duo.
Despite having competed alongside several elite drivers over the last eight years—ranging from Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz to Alex Albon and Sergio Perez—none of them feature in Verstappen's ideal lineup. Most notably, he didn't include his biggest rival and F1 legend, Lewis Hamilton.
The 25-year-old Red Bull star instead chose a combination of a veteran champion and a rising star, both of whom hold the reigning king in high regard. Joking about the scenario, Verstappen wondered aloud if he could pick anyone since he obviously couldn't occupy both the driver's seat and the team principal's office at the same time.
When asked about management, Verstappen admitted that if he had to pick a team boss from the current crop, he'd stick with Christian Horner. He noted that choosing drivers is a difficult task because the current grid is so talented. However, the man who holds the record as F1's youngest debutant decided he wanted a balance: the veteran experience of Fernando Alonso paired with the youthful energy of Lando Norris.
Although it's been nearly ten years since Fernando Alonso's last Grand Prix victory, he is still regarded as one of the most skilled drivers on the track. Since returning in 2021, he's shown flashes of brilliance even in a struggling Alpine. As a two-time World Champion (2005, 2006) with the most race starts in history, he now looks to add to his legacy with Aston Martin.
Choosing Lando Norris over someone like Hamilton might surprise a few, but the 23-year-old Brit is a close friend of Verstappen. As he enters his fifth season with McLaren in 2023, Norris is still hunting for his first win, yet his potential to eventually win a world title is rarely questioned.