"Why does god hate me?": Fans react as pundit suggests Alpine as Max Verstappen's next possible destination

Amid the slump Red Bull Racing is currently going through, rumors surrounding Max Verstappen have gone over the roof. The paddock chatters have already begun connecting Verstappen to different teams such as Mercedes, Aston Martin and even Alpine!

Yes, Alpine, as the former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher pointed towards the French team, that could be the elephant in the room. As the news connecting Verstappen to Alpine surfaced on the internet, fans took to their social media accounts to share their astonishing reactions.

While Max Verstappen's move away from Red Bull to Mercedes could look to be a no-brainer, given Mercedes' expertise in Power Unit, news surrounding George Russell signing a contract extension might put a halt to it.

On the other hand, Aston Martin could also be an option, given Adrian Newey and Honda's partnership, something that has given Verstappen immense success in the past. Amid this, comes the talk of Alpine, a team that hasn't seen much success in the last two decades.

However, for Ralf Schumacher it might not be a cause of concern given Alpine has been improving steadily this season, and they signed up for the Mercedes Power Unit from 2026 onwards, which could be a monumental factor for the Dutchman.

While Schumacher deemed it to be a possibility, the majority of the fans were nonchalant and uninterested. Here are some reactions taken from the micro-blogging site, X, formerly Twitter:

Reacting to it, a fan wrote, "Why does god hate me?"

Another fan wrote, "In what world is this even a serious option? Flavio must be cooking up something diabolical for Max to even consider it with any seriousness."

"Jos would have Flavio buried in a sand bar by month out. There's no way Max is putting up with whatever cretinous cloying and manipulation Flavio dishes out," another fan wrote.

Another fan wrote, "I cannot believe this is being spoken into existence."

"Mate, only the failed Schumacher is saying that shit. It's all irrelevant nonsense just like the person saying it," wrote another fan.

A fan wrote, "I'm sure he would rather take a sabbatical than drive for Alpine."

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What did Ralf Schumacher say about Max Verstappen's chances at Alpine?

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, in his recent interview with Backstage Boxengasse, a German motorsport podcast, stated that Alpine could be the next destination for Max Verstappen in case his Red Bull dream fails. With George Russell cementing his position at Mercedes, the Enstone-based team could be his next destination.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing Honda competes during the race of the Bahrain GP - Source: Getty

“There will be room for Verstappen everywhere. The team that we keep forgetting, but that certainly plays a role in the whole thing… Alpine!” Schumacher stated.

“Flavio Briatore has purchased Mercedes engines for his team next year and in the meantime, look at Pierre Gasly last weekend," he further added. "The car can’t be that bad. Add to that an extra 30 horsepower from the Mercedes engine. I don’t want to leave that team out of consideration either.”

Currently, Max Verstappen is in P3 in the Driver's Standings with 69 points. Whereas, Pierre Gasly is in P11 with 6 points after four races, and a Sprint. Red Bull are in P3 in the Constructors' Championship with 71 points and Alpine are in P9 with 6 points.