Jurgen Klopp is being tipped to replace current World Champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull F1 next season.
The former Liverpool boss recently became Global Head of Soccer at the energy drink franchise, who own several clubs including RB Leipzig in Germany, Austrian side RB Saltzburg and a minority stake in Leeds United.
Paddy Power News however has discovered that Klopp has set his heart on driving at the very pinnacle of motorsport for the Red Bull F1 team.
“Jurgen is fully committed to becoming an Formula 1 driver,” a close friend told us, “He’s been over in the United States, training with Keanu Reeves.”
The Hollywood A-Lister, who made his own driving debut in an 8-hour endurance race earlier this month, was full of praise for the 57-year-old German.
“He’s a natural” Reeves declared, “He went like s**t off a shovel when he drove his car around the Indianapolis circuit the other day. He was so fast it was unbelievable.
“I also loved the way he got the pit crew fist pumping after a super quick pit-stop.”
A spokesperson for Red Bull however, was keen to play down any talk of Klopp taking over one of the hottest seats in F1.
“Mr Klopp will take up his new position on January 1. That is as much as I know at the moment. As far as F1 is concerned, nothing has been decided for next season at this time.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 21: Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg one match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Anfield on February 21, 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)
They were prepared to admit that with a “set of molars as white as his, you have to say he would make a brilliant poster boy for the team.”
“And a sponsorship link-up with Colgate seems likely. Or maybe Ryanair flights to Turkey.”
Some of Klopp’s former colleagues at Anfield were not surprised by the news. Andy Robertson, currently on international duty with Scotland, told reporters;
“The gaffer was a real petrol head. He always had a copy of What Car magazine in his office and he never missed an episode of Top Gear.”
He did admit that his old boss was a “little bit crazy” behind the wheel and claimed that he once “scared the pants off me giving me a lift home from training.”
Mo Salah meanwhile, had a little chuckle to himself when he recounted the time his former boss spent an entire evening doing donuts in the car-park at Anfield after a derby win over Everton.
*Paddy Power News’s footy news is pure fantasy – don’t believe it for a second
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