Max Verstappen snubs Hamilton and Perez in naming his dream F1 driver pairing

21 February 2023 , 15:57

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Max Verstappen would not pick Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez as one of his drivers if he ran his own F1 team (Image: Getty Images)

Max Verstappen overlooked both his main rival Lewis Hamilton and current team-mate Sergio Perez when picking his dream Formula 1 driver pairing.

The question is, of course, a hypothetical one. Verstappen is a driver – a double champion hungry for more success in the next few years – and will have no current interest about managing or owning a team on the grid.

But, still, he was happy to think about what he would do if he were in that situation. In a fun video clip posted by Mobil 1 The Grid, the Dutchman was asked about who he would look at when it came to filling the key positions if he were to own a team.

In terms of selecting a leader, Verstappen did not have to think too hard or for too long. "Of the current people who are capable of being the team principal, I would also go for Christian [Horner]," he said, choosing his current Red Bull boss.

Picking drivers is arguably much more tough, given the wealth of talent currently on the grid. It was clarified that he could not choose himself, but that still left him with strong options such as seven-time world champion Hamilton and his current team-mate Perez.

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But Verstappen overlooked both of them, and decided upon a shrewd mix of experience and youth. "I find that really hard, the drivers, because I think there are a lot of good drivers," he said, before landing upon his choices.

"I would go probably for an experienced one, so I would go for Fernando [Alonso]. And then I would take a young guy and I would put Lando [Norris] in the car. Yeah, Fernando and Lando."

The question is likely to forever remain a hypothetical one, given that Verstappen has already made it very clear that he has no interest in one day leading a team. Asked by CNN if he would like to become a team principal one day, he replied: "No, not in Formula 1.

"I also like other types of motorsport, such as endurance racing. Formula 1 has taken up a big part of my life for a long time. We have to travel a lot and there will be more races in the future. That's when the question comes up whether the pursuit of even more successes is worth spending so much time away from your own family and friends."

Daniel Moxon