“The only way Max would come, is if George leaves,” said Steiner. “But Max costs much more than George and could perhaps unbalance Kimi.
Why would you do that? Toto is in my opinion too smart to do that.
It costs much more. And no matter how much money they have, they also like to keep that for themselves.”
He concluded that Verstappen missed his optimal window to depart Milton Keynes during recent market movements.
“McLaren is in my opinion pretty good with Lando and Oscar,” said Steiner.
According to Steiner, Verstappen must now focus on internal team motivation rather than seeking an exit.
“And we all know how Ferrari stands, at least for next year,” said Steiner.
Steiner affirmed that the driver retains significant goodwill within the garage despite his aggressive radio communications.
“Even then I don't just think there is someone who takes him, because they all have running contracts,” said Steiner.
“They must then first get rid of one of their current drivers.”
He stated that a wage reduction is the only hypothetical path to an external seat.
“If Max really wants to do that, then it is worth the try,” said Steiner. “He would have a chance, I'm not saying he wouldn't have a chance.
But otherwise I think it will be difficult.”
Steiner remains convinced that the reigning champion will ultimately stay at his current team.
“Absolutely, I'm sure he regrets that,” said Steiner.
He referenced the period when Mercedes was actively finalizing its long-term driver arrangements.
