Max Verstappen on Ferrari: only if it’s to win — not for the badge
Max Verstappen isn’t immune to the pull of Ferrari. Few in Formula 1 are. But if the reigning multiple-time World Champion ever turns up in scarlet, it won’t be for the romance. It’ll be because he sees a car that can win.
That was Verstappen’s line in the build-up to Monza, where he was pressed again on the prospect of a future move to Maranello. He didn’t duck the question. He just cut through the noise.
“Is there a chance? There are a lot of chances in life,” he said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “At the moment that is not on the horizon, but who knows? If I would ever want to go there, I don’t go there just to drive for Ferrari, I go there because I see the opportunity to win. And if you win with Ferrari, that’s even better.”
It’s a neat summary of Verstappen’s worldview. He respects the weight of the shirt, he just won’t wear it unless the team behind it matches his ambition. In other words: don’t expect an emotional transfer.
The chatter hasn’t exactly been helped by the family. Jos Verstappen, never shy of a straight answer, admitted he and Max have discussed options beyond Red Bull — and not just with one team. “We also talk about Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull,” he told Viaplay. “That makes sense.” He added that those conversations have been “a bit more” frequent this year than previously.
Ferrari, for now, is closed territory anyway. The Scuderia’s 2025 lineup is locked with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, a pairing brimming with talent and history. That’s also part of Verstappen’s point: joining Ferrari isn’t just about the badge; it’s about landing in a garage already steered by a driver who knows the place inside-out.
“The thing is [Hamilton] joined a team that already has a very strong driver with Charles,” Verstappen said. “It’s never going to be easy to immediately go in there and start beating your teammate who is well integrated, knows the team very well, speaks the language. These cars can be quite complicated at times to fully understand why you’re quick or not.”
Strip it back and you’re left with a simple reality. Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull and continues to front the team that’s been the axis of his F1 career. According to the 2025 Formula One World Championship entry list, he remains with Red Bull Racing, while Ferrari fields Leclerc and Hamilton. The rest — Mercedes links, Ferrari whispers — is the sport’s favorite offseason conversation that’s wandered into mid-season.
Still, this isn’t idle gossip. Verstappen’s stance is pragmatic, not cagey. He acknowledges Ferrari’s magnetism — “I think Ferrari is a massive brand… all the drivers, they picture themselves there” — but warns against getting swept up in it. “That’s also where the mistake comes, just to drive for Ferrari… you shouldn’t let yourself get guided just because of the emotions and passion of a brand. You need to go there because you feel that is the right place to go.”
Read between the lines and it’s the same competitive logic that’s defined his career since Toro Rosso 2015: choose the fastest route to Sunday afternoon. Max won’t put on red unless he thinks it puts him back on the top step, regularly.
Could that day come? Perhaps. Formula 1 moves fast — regulations shift, teams rise and fall, dynamics change. Verstappen himself admitted he doesn’t know how long he’ll stay in F1, and he’s not mapping out every fork in the road from here. For now, Ferrari has its duo, Red Bull has its talisman, and the championship has its narrative: Verstappen’s future is a live discussion because it always will be when a serial winner weighs his next chapter.
If anything, his comments should reassure both camps. Ferrari will hear a competitor who respects the place but won’t play to the gallery. Red Bull will hear the same ruthless, data-first operator they signed up for — one who won’t be pulled by sentiment while there’s still silverware to chase in blue.
And the rest of us? We’ll keep the popcorn warm. In this sport, “who knows?” is how all the best stories start.
