4-time Method 1 champion Max Verstappen has joked he would possibly finally must vacate his Pink Bull seat to make means for the crew’s latest junior recruit, Robin Raikkonen.
It was introduced this week that the 11-year-old son of 2007 F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen has formally joined the Pink Bull Junior Group. The younger Finnish driver is at the moment establishing himself within the European karting ranks.
Chatting with Motorsport.com and different media forward of this weekend’s inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, Verstappen confirmed he had already spoken with the Raikkonen household to congratulate them on the deal, having been privately conscious of the settlement earlier than it was made public.
“Yeah, I met them earlier than the race on Sunday [the Italian Grand Prix]. They have been sitting upstairs, so I had a fast chat with Kimi and with Robin,” Verstappen defined. “It was good. After they have been round I had a bit of chat and I knew that he was signed already. It is good to see.”
Robin Raikkonen
Picture by: Pink Bull Content material Pool
Pink Bull’s junior programme has an extended historical past of bringing profitable drivers to F1. The checklist of Pink Bull junior graduates contains Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson.
When it was identified to him that he would probably not be racing in F1 by the point Robin is able to compete for a seat, the Dutchman joked: “Yeah, who is aware of. Perhaps, perhaps not. I assume finally in addition they want a seat for him within the crew. So then, yeah, perhaps I will transfer apart.”
Verstappen signed a contract extension on the finish of August, which can hold him on the Milton Keynes outfit till the top of 2030, placing to mattress rumours of a possible retirement or a transfer to both Mercedes or McLaren.
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