After winning four consecutive world titles, Max Verstappen experienced a setback, as the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship was claimed by Lando Norris. Speaking on the The Red Flag podcast, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner shared his views by comparing the Dutch driver to two major figures in Formula 1 history: Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.
When drawing a comparison with the German driver, Steiner made it clear that, in his opinion, there is no real contest. He suggested that Max Verstappen operates on a different level altogether. Turning his attention to Fernando Alonso, now racing for Aston Martin, Guenther Steiner stated that although the Spaniard undoubtedly possesses talent of the highest calibre, he has not always been able to fully demonstrate it because he often found himself driving the wrong cars.
In recent years, even before his first retirement from Formula 1, the Spanish driver competed for teams such as Ferrari, McLaren and Alpine, before moving to Aston Martin. Despite these opportunities, he has been unable to secure a third world championship title, having won his two championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006.
Continuing his analysis of Max Verstappen, Guenther Steiner added: “I think Max will not make the same mistake, because his father Jos and his manager Raymond will make sure that he drives the right car. So I don’t think we need to worry about that. Max will drive the best car, and if it’s not the best, then it will be the second best.” – he pointed out.
With these words, the former Haas team principal concluded his comments. It will now take a few more months to understand whether his predictions will come true, especially given the radical regulation changes that Formula 1 will face next year. According to paddock rumours, the Red Bull power unit appears to be among the strongest, but much will also depend on what the FIA decides regarding what has increasingly become known as the “power unit case”.
Guenther Steiner’s assessment therefore highlights the critical role of a driver’s inner circle in navigating the political and technical minefields of F1. While Alonso’s career has often been defined by ill-timed moves, Verstappen’s support system, led by Jos Verstappen and Raymond Vermeulen, appears focused on one thing: ensuring the three-time champion never has to fight with one hand tied behind his back. Whether they can navigate the 2026 engine transition as successfully as they did the ground-effect era will be the ultimate test of Steiner’s theory.
Leave a Reply