![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/73\/590x\/secondary\/Felipe-Massa-Red-Bull-5068695.jpg?r=1700090049967\")
<\/p>\nFelipe Massa has warned Red Bull against giving Max Verstappen a new team-mate over fears that it would lead to his “deterioration”. Red Bull secured their second consecutive constructor championship at the Japanese Grand Prix in September while Verstappen won his third straight drivers title two weeks later in Qatar.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old recently became the first driver to surpass the coveted 500-point barrier. Meanwhile, Red Bull broke the record for the most amount of points accumulated in a single season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Verstappen has won 17 races in 2023, his No2 Sergio Perez has only come out on top twice this season. Some pundits believe Red Bull should bring in a new driver that can challenge Verstappen for the No1 spot but Massa thinks it would be an unnecessary distraction.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as Max is happy and the team wins both the Drivers\u2019 Championship and the Constructors\u2019 Championship, I think it would be wise to leave things as they are now,\u201d the Brazilian told\u00a0FORMULA 1 Magazine.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMax is visibly feeling good and wins almost every race. For him, any change would mean a deterioration. What Max is showing this season is incredibly good, of an unprecedented level.”<\/p>\n
Not even a top-quality signing like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso would make much sense to Massa. \u201cEven if you put Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso in Red Bull\u2019s other car, I\u2019m not sure much would change,” he added. “Maybe a little bit, but believe me, they wouldn\u2019t beat Max either.\u201d<\/p>\n
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