Ex-Haas boss Guenther Steiner isn’t worried about Max Verstappen making the same career mistakes that have followed Fernando Alonso around Formula 1.

Sure, Verstappen lost the World Championship to Lando Norris in 2025, but look at how he finished the season—more wins than anyone else. That says a lot. He’s still the guy everyone measures themselves against. Drivers, team bosses, you name it—they all call him the best on the grid.

Now, things do look a bit uncertain for Verstappen with Red Bull building its own engine under the new rules. People keep linking him to Mercedes, and honestly, the German team seems to have an edge with their power unit. Still, Steiner says Verstappen’s got the right people around him to make sure he lands in a top car again by 2027—if not sooner.

“I think Max will be in the right car, so he’ll keep winning,” Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast. “He’s smart, and so is everyone around him. His contract’s open enough that whoever’s got the fastest car will want him, and they’ll figure it out.”

Alonso’s story is different. He’s still chasing that third Drivers’ title, but bad career moves have left him stuck on 32 wins since 2013. Steiner doesn’t see Verstappen falling into the same trap. Apparently, Verstappen’s Red Bull contract has escape clauses, so he won’t get stuck if things go south.

“He can make it happen himself with the contract he’s got, and I think he’s already planned for that,” Steiner said.

“He won’t do what Alonso did. Fernando always seemed to pick the wrong car. He’s a huge talent, but he never put himself in the right place.”

Steiner credits Verstappen’s dad, Jos, and his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, for keeping his career on track.

“Between Jos and Raymond, they’ll make sure Max ends up in the right car. So there’s nothing to worry about. Max will have the best, or at least the second-best, car,” Steiner finished.

Later this month, the Red Bull teams will try out their brand-new, in-house engine for the first time. Even though the Barcelona winter test won't be open to the public, it's still a key test for Ford and Red Bull.

Ford Performance director Mark Rushbrook said the test will show if the last three years of work were worth it in making a top-notch engine.

Ford's New Plan: More Focus on Gas Engines

Over the years, Ford's role behind the scenes has grown bigger than first planned.

In early talks, led by Christian Horner for Red Bull, Ford was going to help with the electric parts and give money to the project. Since then, it's grown to include 3D printing and more, according to Rushbrook.

The initial plan was on the electric side: the battery, motor, inverter, software, and calibration. "We've done that," Rushbrook told Motorsport.com.

But what we didn't expect, and wasn't our main focus, was the gas engine. That changed as our car plans changed.

With Ford Motor Company's bigger plan, the F1 project with Red Bull Powertrains changed a bit.

Our car plans will still have gas engines, hybrids, and fully electric cars. So, it got more important for us to help with the gas engine too.

Ford wants to use what they learn from F1's gas engines in their road cars, which wasn't the plan at first with Red Bull.

As we worked on the electric side and saw the gas engine work, we saw a chance to get involved. A lot of parts made in Dearborn, Michigan, USA, are now for the gas engine. These parts are made and shipped every day.

Rushbrook said that Ford's bigger role in the gas engine doesn't mean Red Bull Powertrains wasn't good enough on its own.

It's not that they were lacking, but when smart people work together, they share ideas. They ask, 'What would Ford do?' That's where we could help.

What Does F1 Offer Ford?

Rushbrook thinks the project has gotten better with this approach, and it's made F1 more important for Ford.

On the electric side, like the battery chemistry, we helped and learned a lot. The software and calibration are where we've helped the most from our past work.

But for the gas engine, there's the design, making the parts, 3D printing, and more. It's pushed us to a new level. The people, the quality control—it's all better.

Will Ford Stay in F1 Longer?

Ford's ongoing production of gas-powered cars is tied to F1's future value.

Talks about the engine rules after the current cycle started in 2025. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem first wanted a V10 but then changed it to a V8 with electric help.

If Ford keeps making gas engines, is that enough, or do they want to stay in F1 past 2030?

We know our plans. We'll have gas engines, hybrids, and fully electric cars for a while, especially since global rules are now more local. We want to race to help our innovation and tech.

Because Ford now works with all kinds of engines for their cars, they're open to F1's future.

We're okay with different balances of gas engines, hybrids, and full electric. As long as it's useful to us, we're happy. Rushbrook added.

We know there's give and take in racing. We have a lot of room for that. What's being talked about now is okay with us.

When asked if that includes a V8 with some electric power, Rushbrook said, Yes.

This makes a longer partnership with Red Bull after the current cycle a real idea, as Ford has said the investments are for the long haul.