In an exclusive interview with Casino Apps, Formula 1 legend Mark Blundell says that Max Verstappen is one of the greats of the sport after clinching his fourth world title. He also revealed his F1 mount rushmore and much more.
Blundell also gave his thoughts on Adrian Newey’s move to Aston Martin and gives advice to young journalists wanting to make a career out of F1 commentary.
Full Transcript
Las Vegas Grand Prix
Q: In the aftermath of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was another thrilling race. It’s been a great season, highly competitive, especially after last season. Can you remember a more competitive season? What a thrilling season it’s been.
Mark Blundell: “It’s been fantastic. I mean, it’s been great to be on the edge of your seat. Which I think sport should always be. So for Formula One to get to a season like that can only be beneficial for all of us. I think we’re all looking forward not only to the end of the season, but already geared up for 2025. Whenever you get multiple winners, it’s always a great thing. I’m sure every team and driver in Pit Lane though is wondering whether they’re going to be in a situation where they can get some dominance and no more so than the champion. He’ll be thinking already about his future and what he’s going to have underneath him to see if he can get another title under his belt.”
Q: What about the Vegas Grand Prix in general? I remember back in the nineties, there were no Grand Prixs in America. Now we’ve got three. It’s a great spectacle, isn’t it? Probably one of the best on the calendar now.
Mark Blundell: “Yeah. We have to put down the North American sort of explosion to Netflix. I don’t think there’s anything else that can really be attributed to it other than that in many ways. I think it’s great to see so many Grand Prix in North America. I think that’s a fantastic thing for all of the automotive manufacturers and all of the corporate partners, because it without doubt is one of the dominant business areas in the world. So it goes hand in hand, but it’s nice to see something like Vegas working. Some people might say, oh, it’s a little bit cheesy and there’s a little bit too much glitz and glamor, but hey, that’s the direction of where F1 is. And that’s the direction of what seems to be huge growth attached to it. So are we right or are we wrong? I don’t know, but the only thing that I get concerned about, and I’ve voiced this before, is that let’s not do too many more Grand Prix because I think it’s getting to saturation point and I don’t think that’s just F1 in general. I think that’s sport in general as we’re getting to a stage where saturation then becomes something that is like if it’s there and accessible too much. Exactly that. It’s accessible there and it’s too much.“
Max Verstappen
Q: That’s four in a row now for Max Verstappen. So putting him on a pedestal up there with some of the greats. Where does he go from here? Do you think this will be arguably his most satisfying win because the car he’s had to deal with the issues within the team? He must be very proud of himself at this point.
Mark Blundell: “Yeah. I mean he’s still a young guy, remarkable in many ways that he’s got the maturity to do what he’s done with four titles under his belt. And he certainly is up there with the greats now. There is no denying that. I think from my side, I would say this has been probably his best season because I think it’s a season that he’s had to dig deep. He’s had to contend with not having the best car of the day on so many occasions, pulling out the bag some outstanding performances, but at the same time having some of that frequency going on in the background with the team and politics and also not really having a secondary support system there with a strong drive on his teammates side, because that really hasn’t been beneficial for him in many ways. So that’s also something that would have played into other people’s hands and other teams where they’ve had some situations where they can change drivers around and get some support in that situation. So yeah, I think Max has been nothing short of superb.“
Q: Obviously Michael Schumacher’s up there with seven world titles, I think Max Verstappen is what, 27 years old. So time’s on his side now. Do you think he’ll be looking at reeling that total in?
Mark Blundell: “I think he will be in terms of his focus and what he would love to achieve. But you know, you’re only as good as the car you’re driving. And I think that’s shown even for Max this year that at times the Red Bull has not been the most competitive car. And no matter how good Max Verstappen is, he’s not been able to make the differential. So that’s going to be the big hurdle for him as he sort of relaxes to a certain extent now, but at the same time, can Red Bull deliver a world beating car when seemingly from what we can see now, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren have all come back with something that is very strong and consistent. So that’s going to be the big question mark that sits there.“
Q: In terms of Max Verstappen, there’s been speculation about his future. Mercedes are in there potentially looking to talk to him. But do you think this win here will keep him at Red Bull for years to come now, or will he be trying to make up his mind?
Mark Blundell: “I think there will be some situation there with Max and his contract that because of who he is and what he’s achieved, there may be some caveat there that he’s got some exit and some of the exit might be dependent on team performance in terms of actual car performance. So there’s lots of very complex formulas these days that go into driver contracts when they get to those heady heights. And I think maybe you’ve seen that already with the extraction of outside of the Mercedes sort of family, that he was able to actually pull himself out of that and go and do something with Ferrari for the future. So I wouldn’t be surprised that Max has something else that sort of sits alongside that that’s similar. But at the same point you’d also feel that Red Bull would have pretty much have him tied up knowing how good a talent he is and knowing what potential there is to go forward, but the question mark is going to be whether Red Bull can deliver and I think with Adrian Newey departing, several other key people are looking like they’re departing as well. It might be a rebuild situation and that’s timely and costly, especially when you’re trying to get results.“
Q: I don’t know if you saw Jacques Villeneuve taking issue with Jeremy Clarkson’s, kind of statement that Max Verstappen could be the greatest F1 driver of all time. But you have to say what he’s achieved so far makes a fair point. What’s your take on that situation? Do you think he’s up there at the moment or he can be in the future?
Mark Blundell: “No, I think Max Verstappen is one of the greats already. I’m not too clued up on the situation between Villeneuve and Clarkson, so I’ll be honest with you, but I guess it would be interesting to understand that probably a little bit more because there’s a former world champion at F1 and former TV presenter, so not sure what the correlation is. At this stage, you’ve got to put Max up there. You’ve got to put him in the greats. There is no two ways about it. I don’t think anyone can deny that, but it’s really going to be dependent on what the car is that you’re sitting in, whether that talent and that combination of performance with a car can take him to another title. And as I say, with all of the others that are out there now making huge progress with their cars and overall performance it’s going to be a tough call for 2025.“
Jenson Button & Lewis Hamilton
Q: You mentioned some question marks about him. Are you referring to Jenson Button suggesting that his reaction times aren’t quite what they used to be, although despite that, the race performance itself, but in qualifying, a couple of mistakes we saw from Lewis, is that what you’re thinking?
Mark Blundell: “Well, I think there’s those kind of things that have been noted that people are going to go and zoom in on because in some ways it would make some logical sense. But at the same point, I still question mark that theory when you see a performance like he did in the Grand Prix. So you’ve got some big counterbalance there, but I think maybe what happens is that qualifying is really about getting everything put together and getting real focus and vision. And sometimes you need everything to come together just to get the ultimate lap and it doesn’t happen that easily. And it doesn’t happen that sort of consistently. So that’s why you’ve had sort of various people at stages throughout the season with different performances. But Jensen is still racing himself. I’m not saying he’s an old guy by any means, but I’m pretty sure that he’s still got his reflexes and what’s needed. So yeah, I’m not going to take anything away from Lewis Hamilton. I don’t think you can.“
Lando Norris
Q: I think his (Lando Norris) contract is up at the end of 2025. Would you think he’ll be hoping to nail down that spot for even longer? You would think so, wouldn’t you?
Mark Blundell: “I think if he wins a world championship in 2025, he’s going to be an incredibly valuable asset, so there’ll be a lot of people there. So if that’s the case. Contract time’s up. You’ve got a season ahead of you to go and get the job done and the world is your oyster, as they say. So let’s see what value we can build out of next year.“
Red Bull
Q: Let’s go back to Red Bull for a minute. I’ve got a question here. Who should Christian Horner have driving alongside Max Verstappen next year? Because Checo Perez, it hasn’t been a good season for him. Maybe he’s coming to the end of his time in Formula One. Who would you have alongside Verstappen?
Mark Blundell: “I’d put Liam Lawson in there. I think Lawson is a great driver, he’s young, he’s motivated. He seems to have an attitude that he’s not concerned about who’s going to be up against him and who’s alongside him on track. And for me, that’s the kind of guy that I want in my team. You know, when I’ve got a multiple world champion there as the benchmark and we know that he’s at the top of his game. Let’s bring somebody else in that we can support and nurture and develop and contribute. And I think that’s half the big problem that Red Bull have had over the course of this season is that the contribution by Perez has just not been there. And when you’ve got race winning machinery and you’re not delivering, then there are going to be things that need to be addressed. And from what I understand now, looking at the world’s press, that’s something that’s being addressed in the very near future.“
General F1
Q: We see new teams coming into F1 next year, General Motors team coming onto the grid in 2026, I think. Which two drivers would you like to see them sign? That’s a bit of an open ended question, but have you got any ideas who they’ll be looking at?
Mark Blundell: “I think if GM come into the pit lane, then it’d be great for them to have North American drivers. I think that would be a true all American team, in many ways. I know we’ve got Haas, but it would be really cool to see that. But I think we’re looking a way down the track yet, and I think there’s a lot of talent out there and a lot of talent that’s developing and there’s also some guys that will get to a career stage that a new team coming in would have to seriously look at because you’d want somebody that’s got experience and depth and understanding. And that’s pivotal in terms of what you do in decision making for your driver lineup. It’s no good coming in with a new team with two rookies. That’s just going to make life twice as hard.“
Q: FIA are introducing a salary offset in the cost cap in 2026. I think Haas team principal Komatsu said that every team apart from Sauber and Audi is against the incoming salary offset. What do you make of that? How do you think that will play out in F1?
Mark Blundell: “Yeah, I guess that would make some sense, wouldn’t it? When you’re a new boy on the block coming in and you don’t want to pay the bills. Listen, we’ve seen so many global sports talk about salary offset. I find it quite interesting that the FIA are deciding on this side of things when really they’re the sporting arm of the sport, as opposed to the commercial arm. It’s a little bit interesting for me to understand where they’re trying to drive this from, but we don’t really see anything that makes any sense on cost cap. It’s whatever sport you look at when they’ve introduced cost caps. There’s been so many ways of going around it. I think that’s probably true even of today and what’s going on with the cost cap with the operating costs. So I’m sure when you look under the hood, there’s several ways in which they’re trying to maximize those caps. Not sure that’s going to bite that one. Don’t think that’s going to have any traction, but you know, we’ll see.“
Q: What do you make of Toto Wolff’s comments about Lewis Hamilton’s ‘shelf life’?
Mark Blundell: “I think obviously the relationship that was there is not quite there anymore between those two individuals, because that seems to be a very emotional statement to a point and I’m not quite sure what it achieved. I’m not quite understanding what that was set out to do, but if it was set out to motivate someone, it certainly did that in terms of what we saw from the drive over the weekend. I’m sure that Lewis is sitting there thinking about the future, but I think he does that season on season. And I think his decision making was made a long time ago with what he’s decided to do. And that’s drive a red car and go and give it his all. So you know, that will be where his vision is and I think, you know, as I say, if Ferrari is strong enough in terms of car performance, and they’ve got a multiple world champions sitting behind the steering wheel and knows how to go and win championships and take a team to the next level, then yeah, I think the combination could, could come out on top.”
Verstappen’s Challengers
Q: George Russell vowed to ‘give Verstappen a proper fight’ next year after his podium win in Vegas. Do you think he’ll get closer to Verstappen next year? What went wrong for George this year?
Mark Blundell: “I think George Russell is a guy that is in a transformation period of his career, because I think he’s coming into a really important zone for him. And I say that exactly in terms of what we’ve just been discussing around Lewis in terms of when you’re in a team and you’re in a team of that level and you’re now designated the number one driver and that will be the case. It takes on quite a lot of responsibility. Responsibility off the track as much as on the track and that’s now going to rest on George’s shoulders. So I think it’s time to now deliver as he did this weekend. I think he’s done a great job but now to deliver on it on a different level because he will no longer have Lewis Hamilton alongside him, who has been taking on that role. It’s going to all be down to him and the focal point from the team and everybody outside of the team will be very much on what he does. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to really understand where George is at now come 2025. And if he’s got confidence that he clearly has to be able to say what he’s saying, then, you know, that’s a positive. When you have 600 people back at base and they’re all relying on you to deliver, it starts to add up to some pressure on your shoulders. So let’s make sure that you can absorb it and take it and go to the next step.“
Season End
Q: After the Brazil GP, McLaren said the team was prioritising the Constructors’ title over the Drivers’ Championship. Did that strike you as odd?
Mark Blundell: “Not really. I think in some ways it takes a bit of pressure out of the driver system. I think it also focuses everyone’s mindset on consistency and points delivery to see whether they can pull off the championship and this face it, the constructors is where the cash is. The driver side is the glitz and the glamour and they get all the fanfare, but ultimately the constructors is where the money sits. I’m pretty sure that that will be a focal point for McLaren in trying to achieve that. So yeah very understandable.”
Q: Well, they are now 22 points ahead of a Ferrari with Red Bull further 29 points back. So with two races to go? It’s going to be close, isn’t it?
Mark Blundell: “It’s going to be close. And I think that’s on reflection of that, you look at Red Bull and you say if Perez would have been stronger we’d probably be looking at a very different constructors title and points equation. But yeah the last two Grand Prixs are really going to be key and what we can see is like two teams there that have got some very consistent driver pairings and very consistent performances on track. I’m sure we’re all going to be glued to understanding what the outcome of that will be, but I’m going to go and put my neck on the line and because I’m biased, being a former McLaren driver, and say that McLaren are going to do it. Hopefully it’s going to be a bit of that old UK resilience and stiff upper lip stuff that’s going to drive them through and take the title.“
Adrian Newey
Q: What did you make of Adrian Newey’s decision to join Aston Martin, are you surprised he didn’t want to team up with Lewis & Ferrari?
Mark Blundell: “I think the opportunity at Aston Martin for Adrian was probably something that he couldn’t turn down because when you get skin in the game and you actually become very intrinsic in the operation itself, with something that is on your doorstep more or less than in many ways, a heritage brand as famous as Ferrari in terms of the automotive world and you’re able to go and able to put your brushstrokes across it. Why would you not want to go there? I can understand Ferrari being the lure, but maybe the package that was offered was something that was just too much to turn away and I’m sure Adrian is going to apply himself to it and it’s going to be something quite special. Ultimately the benefit of all of this is for us. We’re all going to sit here wondering through the winter, what’s going to happen and what the outcome will be. And we’re going to find out very soon, come March of next year.“
General F1
Q: Mick Schumacher faces another year on the sidelines despite being linked with the second seat at Sauber – soon-to-be Audi in 2026 – it went to F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto. Will he get another chance in 2027?
Mark Blundell: “I think Mick Schumacher is a great driver. He’s been in F1 and it didn’t quite come together for him and some of that would have been relevant to the team as well and performance of the car. Drivers are only as good as what they’re driving on the day and if they didn’t get the opportunity to deliver off the back of it you can get sort of tarnished with the same brush. It’s also relevant that he’s doing what he’s doing that isn’t quite up there with the huge amount of success and profile building where he would probably want. The stock level of Mick Schumacher isn’t quite as high as what it was a couple of seasons ago, so it’s going to be quite tough to get his stock level back up. That’s not an easy thing to do when you’re in a very small number of drivers. There’s not that many on there. So with not being many around, there’s also a lot of focus and vision that goes into deciding who’s going to be the next one. I kind of get the new talent part because I think it’s a case of having experience and a blend of new talent. So I think that’s a good decision and the right decision for someone like Audi. We are not probably not going to see Mick Schumacher in a Formula One car in the very near future.”
Q: What 4 drivers would be on your F1 Mount Rushmore? (Top 4 F1 drivers of all time)
Mark Blundell: “That’s really tough. I’d probably have to go with (Ayrton) Senna. I’d go with Senna, (Alain) Prost, who would be like the guys from my kind of era. And then I’d have to go with (Lewis) Hamilton and (Max) Verstappen. You know, actually, I’ll probably have to put (Michael) Schumacher instead of Prost. So I’d go Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton, Verstappen.“
Q: What did you learn as a test driver to Ayrton Senna? If so, did it help you when you were competing with him for podiums?
Mark Blundell: “It gave me a great insight into the mindset of a world champion and gave me an understanding of the amount of work required to support and assist outside of the car as much as inside. I think that was one of the big, big key things. But ultimately you’re looking at 0.1 percent of the 1 percent club with somebody like that. So very, very special individuals. They only come along every now and again and probably those guys that were just mentioned are all in that same club. So it was really interesting to understand how he worked and the pressures that he applied in many ways without even being in a race car, so yeah, very smart.“
Q: Sebastian Vettel is “on the mind” of Porsche director Urs Kuratle over a potential Le Mans driver for 2025. Do you think we will see him back in the driver’s seat?
Mark Blundell: “Yes, I think any racing driver would love to have a Le Mans 24 win on the CV. It is without doubt one of the biggest races in the world. If you ask anybody, there’s always three races. There’s the Monaco Grand Prix, the Le Mans 24 Hour and there’s the Indy 500. They’re the big, the big races in the global motorsport calendar. So I’m sure Vettel would be looking at it seriously. I’m sure he’s pretty much twiddling his thumbs these days to see whether the comeback would be something that would interest him. And if you’re going to come back to Le Mans, who better to come back with Porsche, the legendary automotive mark at the 24 hours. So it’d be a great story. It would probably require a little bit of differential in mindset and collaboration of other drivers to take that on board, but probably with the couple of seasons or so that he’s had out of F1, that would be a nice thing to do and to come back to. So if he’s motivated and he’s determined to do it, I’m pretty sure that there’ll be an opening for him anywhere in the pit lane. But it’s a very different style of racing and a different equation to what he was used to. But it’s very, very rewarding and a pleasurable experience when you stand on the top spot after 24 hours, that’s for sure.“
Q: Were you surprised he walked away from F1 when he did? Because he still had plenty more to offer.
Mark Blundell: “Not really. I mean, I think that’s just the makeup of people that are, you know, when you have to be looking at an Alonso and a Hamilton and you’re looking at like the amount of effort and workload and resource that goes into delivering day in day out and as they get older, you can see that it requires more and more effort and you’ve got to be respectful and you have to take your hat off to that. So I think there’s also others out there, like we saw with Nico Rosberg that did the job and walked away. Sebastian that like, you know, said, no, that’s it. I’m going to take some time out, you know, and you have to be respectful of that. Everyone’s made differently. You could probably see even with Max already, Max Verstappen is quite vocal about ‘OK I might look at something different in the future’. It’s just there’s no right and wrong and there’s no handbook for a Formula One driver. Knowing in yourself what is driving you and motivating you every day is quite a key thing. And if that doesn’t get generated in terms of being a Formula One driver anymore, then yeah, go hang up your gloves and helmet and do something different. Oh, that’s true.“
Q: Verstappen had a dig at Zak Brown after his win, telling Zak that ‘he didn’t win the Championship in the fastest car’, (when Zak said previously that Max could only win in the fastest car) What do you make of Max’s comments? & Do you think Max is right that Red Bull didn’t have the fastest car this season?
Mark Blundell: “Zac Brown’s incredibly smart individual. He also understands psychology. So you’re going to try to ruffle some feathers, then you have to throw some stuff out there and see if it has a reaction. It Iooks like it did, but unfortunately for Zak the only reaction that’s coming back is one to underline that yeah, I am number one and regardless of what I was sitting in, I still got the job done. So, you know,there you go that just underlines formula one for you. All of this side of things, all of this white noise and frequency that goes on, you know, come two o’clock on a Sunday afternoon it gets delivered with some factual answers. So, you know, that’s always going to be the case.“
He served up some humble pie there, didn’t he? That’s the best way to silence your critics, isn’t it, do it on the race track!
Mark Blundell: “I mean, some humble pie and plenty of custard. That’s what he delivered on Sunday afternoon for many, many people down pit lane.“
Q: Who do you predict will be top 3 in the Driver’s Championship next year?
Mark Blundell: “I mean, you’ve got to go into that looking at Verstappen and Norris and I’m going to throw Lewis in the ring as well and say there’s going to be the three contenders that are going to be a blend of experience and youth all rolled up into that trio and we have a trio of different manufacturers as well there. That would definitely be the pick on my menu if I had to choose it for 2025. And I think that will be an exciting one to watch. I think it’s fantastic also for British motorsport that we’ve got so much talent that’s taking up 25 percent or so of the grid in F1 at the minute.“
Q: Would you have any advice for young journalists looking to make a career out of commentary in F1 or in sport in general?
Mark Blundell: “Listen, I think with what there is in the world today, the amount of opportunity and different channels and the digital media side and so forth, I think it’s a great platform to let the world see what you can do. That didn’t exist in my day. We were lucky enough to have five channels on TV. I think there’s probably about 600 channels these days, along with all the social media channels. So I think if you’re, if you’re looking to get into the sport go drive your own newsfeed and go deliver. I would just say to people in general just have some self belief and go and knock on as many doors as possible, because trust me one of those doors are going to open and if it opens a little bit, get your foot jammed in there and push it open and tell the world what you can do.”
Q: Johnny Herbert has come out & said he thinks Damon Hill was pushed out of Sky Sports’ commentating team, do you think that was the case?
Mark Blundell: “I really don’t know but I think it’s a huge loss, if I’m honest. Because I think it’s a loss that we don’t have Johnny Herbert on the TV as much as we did. If we’re not going to see the likes of a world champion like Damon Hill as well on our screens. I think that’s a loss as well. And I say that as in when I watch sport, I really want to be relating to people that have been in it and done it and, you know, and got the credentials because that, I think, adds more value to me as an individual watching the sport that I love. So if I don’t have those people there it doesn’t quite have the same sort of glue for me. But I’m not sure what the parameters are on that side of things but what I do know is I’m pretty sure Damon will be very happy doing what he loves and it’d be on the, on the waves down at the coast of Cornwall or something and surfing. So I don’t think he’s going to be sweating too much about it. Yeah. He’ll still be loving life wherever he is, whatever he’s up to.“
