Ferrari told to offer Max Verstappen “a blank cheque” to join

Ferrari have been told that they should have offered a mega-money deal to sign Max Verstappen.

Instead, the most successful team in Formula 1 history spent big to land Lewis Hamilton in what already looks like one of the most monumental driver moves ever.

But did they pick the wrong F1 superstar to sign?

Tom Coronel, a Dutch racing driver, claims Ferrari should have approached Verstappen before penning a deal with Hamilton.

Coronel insists Verstappen could also be seduced by Ferrari’s allure.

"It's the same feeling, Ferrari is Ferrari,” he told Racingnews365.

“That's the reason I said last year, before Hamilton announced the switch: if I had been Fred Vasseur, I would have sent the whole Verstappen camp a blank cheque."

Could Max Verstappen quit Red Bull?

Verstappen is tied to Red Bull until the end of 2028 on a contract so lucrative that only Hamilton’s new deal with Ferrari can rival it.

However, a year ago, major shudders inside the F1 paddock suggested Verstappen could quit.

The internal furore involving Christian Horner created question marks and resulted in Toto Wolff registering Mercedes’ interest.

Verstappen has also been the subject of claims that Aston Martin could launch a stunning bid to sign him.

Although the driver who has won four championships in a row has pledged his loyalty to Red Bull, 2025 could test it.

The final year of the current engine regulations means that field is likely to converge even closer than in 2024, when Red Bull lost their advantage of having F1’s fastest car.

Bold projects from the likes of Mercedes and Aston Martin for the new era of engine regulations, in 2026 and beyond, could catch Verstappen’s eye unless Red Bull keep pace.