Ralf Schumacher proposes 'perfect' Max Verstappen team-mate

Ralf Schumacher has suggested Nico Hulkenberg could be the ideal candidate to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

Having returned to F1 with Haas in 2023 after three seasons on the sidelines, the German driver has proven himself to be one of the most consistent midfield runners on the grid.

10 rounds into the current campaign, the 37-year-old has scored an impressive 20 points for Stake, with strong results at the Australian, Spanish and Canadian Grands Prix.

Meanwhile, the Milton Keynes squad's second seat has long-plagued the six-time constructors' champions.

But for a short-lived reprieve in the first half of Sergio Perez's four-season tenure, the team has struggled to find a suitable replacement for Daniel Ricciardo, who left for Renault at the end of 2018.

Schumacher feels his compatriot would be "accepted" more by the Dutchman than some of the less-experienced drivers he has been partnered with in the past.

Hulkenberg, on the other hand, has been casually and occasionally linked to Red Bull in the past, but those ties have never been been more than loose. Nonetheless, Schumacher believes he would be a good fit for the team. 

"I think so, yes," the former Jordan, Williams and Toyota driver said on Sky Sports Germany's F1 podcast Backstage Boxengasse, when discussing whether Stake driver would have worked alongside Verstappen. "I think the two get along very well anyway.

"And Max I think would also have accepted him a bit more [compared to some of his previous team-mates]."

A suitable solution?

Since Ricciardo left Red Bull, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon failed to make the grade alongside Verstappen and Perez was unable to consistently produce the desired results, especially in the back-halves of 2023 and 2024. 

It culminated in the Mexican driver being relieved of his duties over the off-season, with Liam Lawson promoted from RB to take his place.

The New Zealander lasted just two grands prix before Red Bull reversed its decision, elevating the previously overlooked Yuki Tsunoda. However, he has also struggled to perform in the eight rounds since.

When reflecting on Hulkenberg's second coming in the championship, Schumacher outlined some of the reasons why he may fare better in the Red Bull second seat.

"Nico has also developed, as we all do in life," the six-time grand prix winner said. "He is now a father, 37 years old.

"But from that point of view, you also see things differently, especially more relaxed. And it may sound a little strange, but he is now on his second Formula 1 spring. 

"So to get all this done, to come back and now have a place like this and still have top performances, is perfect."