Former Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has playfully raised the possibility of a future Max Verstappen move to McLaren, joking that the four-time Formula 1 world champion’s cap looked “more papaya than orange”. Although Max Verstappen’s management has reiterated his intention to remain with Red Bull until the end of his current contract, Maurizio Arrivabene believes the Dutch driver ultimately controls his own future.
The remarks followed a positive Belgian Grand Prix for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, who returned to the podium after the team’s turbulent weekend at Silverstone. The RB22 allowed Max Verstappen to fight near the front at Spa-Francorchamps even without the so-called “Macarena” rear wing, which had been placed on standby for safety reasons.
Max Verstappen returns to the podium at Spa
Max Verstappen also argued that, without the Virtual Safety Car timing that benefited Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, he might have been able to challenge his same-age rival for second place. Nevertheless, the Belgian Grand Prix represented a positive weekend for Red Bull, despite the team’s pace on the hard tyres emerging as its main competitive weakness.
The result came despite the balance problems Max Verstappen encountered at Spa, while the wider Belgian weekend also generated further discussion about Red Bull’s power-unit performance and the FIA’s ADUO ranking.
Ferrari capitalised on the race’s key moments to secure second place with Charles Leclerc, while Lewis Hamilton recovered to fourth despite damage and a penalty. The full picture of Ferrari’s race, including the Virtual Safety Car timing that shaped the battle for the podium, is covered in the Ferrari Belgian Grand Prix review.
Maurizio Arrivabene jokes about a Max Verstappen McLaren move
Max Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, recently stressed that the Dutch driver intends to honour the contract tying him to Red Bull until 2028. Maurizio Arrivabene, however, believes Max Verstappen is effectively the master of his own destiny and would be capable of securing an exit if he decided that he wanted to leave the team.
“Verstappen? Pay attention to the photo of his cap, which was more papaya than orange. Watch out,” Maurizio Arrivabene said while appearing on Sky’s Race Anatomy.
The comparison was a clear reference to McLaren’s distinctive papaya colours and the orange traditionally associated with Max Verstappen’s Dutch identity and supporters. Maurizio Arrivabene then offered his interpretation of how the world champion manages his position within Red Bull.
“I think he is always the one who stirs things up a little within the team, sees how things develop, then applies pressure and opens up a few avenues for himself,” the former Ferrari team principal added.
Maurizio Arrivabene’s remarks were delivered in a light-hearted manner and do not represent confirmation of negotiations between Max Verstappen and McLaren. They nevertheless underline his belief that the four-time world champion possesses enough influence to shape his own Formula 1 future, regardless of the length of his existing Red Bull contract.
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