Ferrari makes moves to sign Max Verstappen

Former F1 squad brag Giancarlo Minardi claims Ferrari are making moves to motion Max Verstappen. The communicative comes aft the Italian squad amazed everyone past twelvemonth by signing Lewis Hamilton.

The 27-year-old Verstappen is present successful the spotlight, adjacent though helium confirmed successful July that helium would enactment astatine Red Bull for the 2026 season. 

"I deliberation it's clip to halt each the rumours, and it was ever beauteous wide to maine that I was staying anyway," the Dutchman said up of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Minardi told motorsport.it: 

"I judge Ferrari person made moves successful that direction. As for whether helium volition come, I deliberation his ain words; 

'I'm going due to the fact that I privation to win'; sent a beauteous antagonistic awesome towards Ferrari."

He added: 

"There person been a batch of talks successful caller months, adjacent concealed negotiations, operator swaps that ne'er materialised, truthful thing is possible. I deliberation Ferrari is trying."

Irvine connected the situation

Minardi's comments followed those of Eddie Irvine, a erstwhile Ferrari driver, who urged Verstappen to articulation the Scuderia. 

"In my time, erstwhile Michael Schumacher came, helium was considered by acold the fastest driver. That's wherefore Rory Byrne came, Ross Brawn came, and that full squad was built astir the information that Michael was a antithetic world. A spot similar Verstappen is now, wherever if Verstappen went somewhere, helium could propulsion a batch of people. Without the full strategy together, everyone is, you know, connected the aforesaid level. It's tough, Formula 1 is tough."

He added:

"Michael gave up a lot. Michael astir apt gave up two, three, possibly adjacent much satellite championships to permission Benetton and spell to Ferrari due to the fact that successful the archetypal fewer years radical person nary thought however atrocious it was astatine Ferrari."

Irvine added: 

"Michael, helium knew it didn't marque consciousness for him. He was truthful overmuch amended than everyone else. He conscionable said; 'I'm going there. I'm going to spot what I tin do'; which was incredible. And helium did it. But radical forget, it took 4 years. He was ever close, but you could conscionable spot helium was driving to the bounds to effort and beryllium there. So it could precise good person been that it didn't happen."

He added: 

"I'd emotion for Verstappen to travel to Ferrari. I deliberation the 2 of them would beryllium sensational together. Hopefully they don't person to hold excessively agelong similar Lewis."