Ralf Schumacher expects ‘nasty’ backlash from Max Verstappen’s dad over dream Red Bull replacement

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F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher is expecting further backlash from Jos Verstappen for his latest comments on Red Bull’s presence in the driver market amid Max Verstappen’s restlessness.

The father of four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen, Jos Verstappen, has clashed several times already this year with his former on-track rival, Ralf Schumacher, regarding the F1 pundit’s opinions on the Dutchman’s future.

The 54-year-old responded to Schumacher’s opinion that Red Bull are missing the presence of Helmut Marko this year with, “Ralf talks a lot off b——-.” It garnered significant attention from fans, who were quick to voice their opinions on the feud.

More recently, the pair clashed after Schumacher revealed that Mercedes’ Toto Wolff had tabled an offer to Verstappen. Fuming, Jos responded to the quotes on social media, writing, “Ralf, once again, you are spreading false information.”

Now, after voicing his latest thoughts on Verstappen’s future, the German pundit is expecting more criticism from his brother’s former Benetton teammate.

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Speaking via the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher named three drivers who can be considered as serious candidates to fill Verstappen’s void if he does choose to depart the Austrian constructor at the end of the year.

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“Well, it’s quite simple really – just look at this example: Mercedes-Hamilton with Russell,” he began. “I mean, even when the Mercedes wasn’t performing so well, Hamilton, who couldn’t win a championship, had previously won several in a row.

“So the lesson here is: build the best car and then you can compete for the World Championship even with a good driver. You might not necessarily need the very best one.

“Sure, Max brings two tenths, but let’s say, in a good car, Carlos Sainz is in the running for the World Championship, and Oscar Piastri too – even if things have gone a bit quiet around him, to be perfectly honest.

“He’s a once-in-a-century talent, and he’s also a driver who’s sort of on the market. Oliver Bearman is another name that springs to mind – I’d snap him up from Ferrari if I could, as Red Bull, let’s say. He’s someone I think is really underrated, and he mustn’t be underestimated.”

• READ MORE: Jos Verstappen was right all along about Red Bull’s F1 team ‘falling apart’

Addressing Jos Verstappen’s annoyances, Schumacher expects more backlash from the four-time world champion’s dad after his comments, adding, “I think the important thing is that as long as they have respect for one another, it’s not an issue.

“Otherwise, I mean, we’re talking about a multi-billion-dollar corporation. It existed before Max, and it will continue to exist after Max. Everything in life has its limits, even if Papa Jos is probably going to write some nasty stuff on Twitter again now.”