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.”
