Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner disagreed with Williams F1 team principal James Vowles's assessment of Max Verstappen's 'downsides'. The Red Bull driver has been one of the best in the sport over the last couple of years and has racked up four consecutive drivers' championships since 2021.
After winning his maiden title with the Austrian team in 2021, the Dutch driver signed a contract extension with the Milton Keynes outfit, which earned him around $80m with bonuses, until the end of the 2028 season.
However, despite being signed on with Red Bull, there have been rumors surfacing around a possible move away from the former due to their car performance at the end of the 2025 season.
Williams F1 James Vowles was apprehensive of signing Max Verstappen as he believed that the latter had some "downsides". On his appearance on the Red Flags podcast, Guenther Steiner had a sharp take on James Vowles's comments regarding the four-time F1 world champion and said:
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“I think anybody who wants to win the world championship can live with Max’s downside, you know because it’s like...look what he’s doing with the Red Bull because for sure that car is not the fastest car out there but he keeps on doing it,” (38:21)
There have been reports suggesting Mercedes and Aston Martin as the most likely destinations for the 27-year-old if he chooses to leave Red Bull.
Williams F1 team boss chimes in on Max Verstappen's rumored link-up with Mercedes
Williams F1 team principal James Vowles advised Mercedes against signing Max Verstappen for the 2026 season, as he believed that they have a strong lineup with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli already.
Speaking with Sky Sports in Jeddah, the former Mercedes head of strategy reflected and said:
"I don't think anyone in the room would deny that he is extraordinary in what he can do. [Verstappen's performance in] Japan was, for me, jaw-dropping. Well done to him. But he comes with a lot of downsides as well that you have to acknowledge.
"What Mercedes does have is a great culture with two drivers that are delivering near to the peak of the car, and with one that's on the way up. So I personally don't think that's the place for him. I would also say -- I'm not Toto -- but I think he's got a really good driver line-up for the future."
James Vowles believes that Kimi Antonelli is already on a trajectory to become more competitive as the races go by, while his teammate, George Russell, continues to deliver in the 2025 season with the W16.
Max Verstappen was earlier linked with the German deal at the beginning of last year, as well as a potential replacement for the departing Lewis Hamilton, but both parties decided not to pair up.
