Felipe Massa tells Red Bull not to sign Lewis Hamilton as legal battle rumbles on
Felipe Massa has warned Red Bull not to give Max Verstappen a new teammate.
Because he fears it will make him “worse”.
Red Bull won the constructors’ championship for the second consecutive year at the Japanese Grand Prix in September, while Verstappen won his third consecutive drivers’ title in Qatar two weeks later.
The 26-year-old recently became the first driver to surpass 500 points.
In addition, Red Bull broke the record for most points scored in a season.
Verstappen has won 17 races in 2023, while second-placed Sergio Perez has only won twice this season.
Some pundits believe Red Bull should bring in a new driver to challenge Verstappen for the top spot, but Massa believes that is an unnecessary concern.
“Max is happy and thinks it’s better to leave it as it is until the team wins both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship,” the Brazilian told FORMULA 1 magazine.
“Max feels great and wins every race.
For him, every change means getting worse. What Max has done this season is unprecedented and unbelievable.”
Even high-quality signings like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso would be meaningless for Massa.
He added: “I’m not sure much would change even if we put Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso in another Red Bull car.” “Maybe a little, but trust me, they couldn’t beat Max either.”
