Ferrari’s executive director, Louis Camilleri, has ruled out a future arrival of Max Verstappen in the Italian team, now or ever.
At the last US Grand Prix, Max Verstappen beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in his Red Bull car and finished third on the podium at Austin. The Dutch driver subsequently suggested that possible cheating had occurred on the part of Scuderia Ferrari.
Words that have obviously still not been accepted by the Italian team, and have confirmed to them that Verstappen’s big mouth isn’t capable of remaining closed. Most likely an additional reason they’d not wish the young Dutchman to gain a drive.
“He can’t think for a moment about being with us in the future” claims Camilleri.
“These kinds of statements never get you very far for the future. Max is 22 years old so why give him credibility when we are Ferrari?
“Sometimes silence is more powerful. A driver who accuses Ferrari of cheating cannot think for a moment about being with us in the future.
“Mattia Binotto saw FIA investigators everywhere. Verstappen’s statements created all kinds of unnecessary problems within our team,” damns Louis Camilleri, Ferrari’s executive director, in comments reported by Nextgen-Auto.
Verstappen says that he feels at home at Red Bull and that he is not interested in leaving which is probably just as well considering the comments made by Ferrari.
“I’m really happy where I am at the moment, and I really want to win with Red Bull,” he told Autocar. “They brought me into Formula 1, so there was this kind of loyalty to them. I think we’re over that phase, but still I’m really happy where I am.”
What a childish reaction from Ferrari. Everybody knows there is/was something going on with their fuel and/or engine. After the investigating started, they lost top speed so there was something going on and blaming Verstappen for it and (sort of) telling him there will never be place for him at Ferrari is a disgrace. This underlines the problems at Ferrari even more in my opinion and gives us insight in why they are less successful as they wanted over the years.
Whatever the facts really the engine, surely Ferrari have a right to decide who will drive in THEIR TEAM? and Max runs the risk of “like father like son” where the talent is there but the mouth gets in the way until no one wants you….. Bit like Alonso….
Other than Camilleri making sure Philip Morris money continues to flow to Ferrari – I doubt he makes any real decisions at the team.