Retired F1 driver Marc Surer told Spin Genie that Lawrence Stroll must drop son Lance if Aston Martin can tempt Max Verstappen away from Red Bull.
The Swiss ex-Arrows star thinks Aston Martin should look to George Russell if Mercedes win the Verstappen bidding war.
The TV commentator believes Ferrari should have kept Carlos Sainz instead of making a Hollywood move for Lewis Hamilton.
He lifted the lid on Michael Schumacher behind the scenes, who he said would love a post-race party and he also says he questions the attitude of Lance Stroll.
Read the full interview below.
Q. Did you agree with the Max Verstappen penalty?
MS: “I agreed with the Max Verstappen penalty. After he cut across the runoff area, he ended up significantly ahead of Piastri, so he clearly gained an advantage.
“And to be honest, I’m not sure he would have made the corner at that speed anyway, he went in far too fast. Piastri did everything right. He reminds me a bit of Max in that way, very bold and aggressive when the chance is there, especially if he’d had the inside line.”
Q. Do you think Piastri can now win the championship?
MS: “It’s too early to say who wins. The concern for McLaren is that Piastri and Norris are now taking points off each other.
“They’ll need to be careful, because Max is still very strong. If McLaren don’t put their energy behind one driver, they might lose out to him.
"But I still think Piastri can win. He’s very cool under pressure. Last year, I felt he wasn’t always quite up to Norris’s pace, but this year’s car seems to suit his driving style better.
“That makes a big difference, just like at Red Bull, where each driver has their own style. This year, the McLaren seems to match Piastri better.”
Q. There’s a lot of speculation around Verstappen’s future. Which team do you think he’s most likely to join?
MS: “I think it’s between Mercedes and Aston Martin, for Max Verstappen to join.
“At Mercedes, he knows they’ll have a strong engine after the next regulations. Last time they changed the rules, Mercedes did an excellent job.
“But he also knows Honda, and with Honda going to Aston Martin and Adrian Newey involved, there are familiar faces there too.
“And what if he doesn’t race next year at all?
“That’s a real possibility. Sometimes he seems a bit fed up with the FIA, and with the upcoming regulation changes, especially the electric input, he’s not thrilled.
“He might just take a break, watch from the sidelines for a year, and then decide if he wants to come back.”
Q. What would he do instead?
MS: "Touring cars, I think. He loves them. He races them on the simulator, he's quite into that, and he’s already supporting a GT team. He just loves driving, but it doesn’t have to be Formula 1.”
Q. Would he leave F1 for good, or come back?
MS: “If he left, he’d think long and hard about returning. He’d watch how the new F1 era plays out with the regulation changes.
"If he sees it’s still not to his liking, he may stay away. But if it evolves in a way he likes, I can see him coming back.”
Q. If Verstappen wanted to go to Aston Martin, would Lawrence Stroll have to drop Lance?
MS: “I think Lawrence Stroll would have to drop Lance if they signed Verstappen. Adrian Newey has already said they need two strong drivers if they want to fight for the Constructors' Championship.
“Lawrence brought his son into F1, and it’s nice to see, but if he truly wants team success, he might have to make that sacrifice.”
Q. Should he do that anyway?
MS: “Lance isn’t bad, he has talent. Sometimes he’s even faster than Alonso. But I question his motivation.
“When F1 is so easy for you to access, maybe you don’t treat it the same as someone who’s fought tooth and nail to get there. The attitude might be the issue, not the talent.”
Q. If Mercedes signed Verstappen, would they need to let Russell go?
MS: “It would be a shame if Mercedes had to let Russell go to make room for Verstappen. Russell has proven himself against Hamilton and shown he’s ready to be a team leader.
“But Mercedes invested a lot in Antonelli, they let him test last year for millions on a two-year-old car just to learn the tracks. If they brought in Verstappen, it would complicate that whole plan.”
Q. Where would Russell go, then?
MS: “Aston Martin would be the logical choice. They have the right people, and it could be a good long-term move. But it won’t happen overnight, they’ll need time to become a top team.”
Q. Lewis Hamilton said recently that this year will be “long and painful” with Ferrari. What does that say about his move?
MS: “It reminds me of his situation at Mercedes since the ground effect regulations came in. He hasn’t looked like the old Lewis Hamilton.
“Now he’s at Ferrari, and it’s basically the same story, struggling with the car, not his usual self.
“He’s always had perfect cars, McLaren when they were strong, Mercedes when they dominated. But now, he has to fight. And he’s not as good at dealing with that as drivers like Verstappen or Alonso."
Q. Could he leave early or switch teams?
MS: “He won’t switch teams. This is it. Ferrari was his dream, and now he’s living it. He’s making great money, and he even won a sprint race already.
“If he leaves after this, it’ll be for good.”
Q. Would Ferrari have had a better chance if they kept Carlos Sainz?
MS: “Yes, Ferrari would have a better chance if they kept Carlos Sainz. He knows Ferrari well, and he often delivered when Leclerc couldn’t.
“Marketing-wise, of course, Hamilton is much better. He’s the most globally recognised F1 driver. His arrival boosted Ferrari’s brand hugely, they sold out of merchandise after his announcement.
“But purely on performance? They would have been better off sticking with Sainz.”
Q. What about Sergio Pérez? Does recent form prove it was wrong to let him go?
MS: “Possibly, but it’s always been tough being Max’s teammate. Max has a very specific driving style, and Red Bull tailors everything to suit him.
“If you can’t adapt to that setup, it’s hard to perform.
“It’s not necessarily Pérez’s fault. Anyone in that second car struggles, not just him.”
Q. Who do you think will win in Miami?
MS: “I think it’s a McLaren track. Red Bull are great in fast corners, but Miami has a mix of fast and tight ones. I think McLaren will do well there.”
Q. Should Mick Schumacher join Audi?
MS: “It would be great for the name. I’d love to see Mick get another chance. He had a rough experience last time, and he deserves better.
“That said, Audi already have two strong drivers, Hülkenberg with lots of experience and Pourchaire, a big talent.
“He’s coming from F2 into what’s currently the worst car in F1, but if he can survive that, he’ll be a great driver.
“So Audi probably shouldn’t change their lineup just yet.”
Q. Johnny Herbert previously said he likes Ralf Schumacher now, but couldn’t stand him when they were racing. Can you understand what he means?
MS: “Ralf was always ‘Michael’s little brother’. He got into F1 partly because of Michael. He did well, but only when he had a great car, like the Williams at that time.
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