Schumacher gives a suprising and shock suggestion for Verstappen's teammate

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that Nico Hulkenberg would be a great teammate for Max Verstappen, saying the Dutchman "would appreciate him more than some of his previous teammates".

There has been plenty of talk in 2025 about Max Verstappen's teammate, with Liam Lawson beginning the season at Red Bull Racing, with the New Zealander then demoted after just two races.

Yuki Tsunoda was then the replacement, but he has also yet to make a real impression at the Austrian team, currently sitting P15 in the drivers' standings with ten points.

On the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher mentioned that Hulkenberg could definitely be considered as an option, believing that the German would get along well with Verstappen.

‘’I think it's because they get along well with each other," the 49-year-old stated, saying why it would be a local choice.

"Additionally, I think Verstappen would appreciate him more than some of his previous teammates.’’

Max Verstappen with Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Red Bull would benefit from having Hulkenberg

Lawson was announced as Verstappen's teammate at the beginning of the season after battling with Tsunoda at Racing Bulls to end 2024, with the New Zealander replacing Sergio Perez with high expectations.

However, he failed to impress and was then replaced by Tsunoda, with the Japanese driver also struggling to adequately fill the seat next to Verstappen so far.

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Who should become Max Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull in 2026?

Previously, statistics showed that Max Verstappen has so far had to fend for himself at Red Bull Racing. According to the figures, Yuki Tsunoda has been the second-worst teammate of the Dutchman to date. Even the often criticised Sergio Perez performed better over an entire season than Tsunoda's best result so far.

Schumacher comes with a suggestion for Red Bull, with Hulkenberg's experience working to the German's advantage, who appears to be significantly helping Sauber.

"Searching for the best combination between theory and what the driver feels is why a driver's influence is so important.

"I don't want to shortchange anyone, but I can imagine that Sauber has received the best feedback in years with Hülkenberg," concluded Schumacher.

This article was written in collaboration with Hidde Korte