Movies

Formula 1: Max Verstappen could replace Lewis Hamilton, but not at Mercedes

BBG News

For the 2025 racing season, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton departs for Ferrari, marking the conclusion of a remarkable 12-year bond between driver and team that has left an indelible mark on motor sports. In response, Mercedes is considering Max Verstappen, who holds the title of four-time consecutive world champion and current championship leader, as his potential successor.

For the 2025 season, that attempt fell short. While it’s rumored Verstappen might depart from Red Bull under specific terms before his contract ends in 2028, he intends to remain there for now. Mercedes, on the other hand, have opted to partner George Russell with rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli this year.

Despite the current circumstances, it’s possible that the Silver Arrows may go to great lengths, possibly even increasing his current $55 million salary by almost three times, in order to secure Verstappen for the 2026 season. This could potentially lead them to part ways with Russell if necessary.

However, Toto Wolff might be taking a risk by counting on that possibility, given that it didn’t work out for 2025 and rumors suggest that Aston Martin has also approached Max Verstappen. Additionally, Lawrence Stroll’s team has recruited Adrian Newey, a renowned engineer and designer, to lead their development of the 2026 challenger, which could potentially strengthen their position.

For Max Verstappen and his father Jos, solely concentrating on the 2026 season, which signifies the beginning of a fresh phase with new rules and regulations, might be slightly myopic when considering a possible shift in racing environment for the 61-time Grand Prix champion.

Max recently participated in his 200th Grand Prix and expressed that he has no intention of staying for another 200. However, it’s important to note that he just celebrated his 27th birthday, and it’s worth mentioning that Hamilton considered retirement about a decade ago, when he was a three-time champion. Yet, four world titles later, he is bound by contract for at least another two seasons with a new team.

Could Ferrari be in play for Verstappen?

It might be assumed that a team like Ferrari, traditionally recognized for having a lead driver and a secondary driver, would hesitate to team up two strong personalities such as Charles Leclerc and Verstappen, who both show alpha-like qualities.

However, the theory that suggested a change in the team’s approach seems to have been disproved, as they appear to have offered a reported annual salary of $100 million to Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One World Champion, for signing a contract covering 2025 and subsequent years.

Leclerc, who’s just celebrated his eighth victory this season and is having an exceptional year, is said to be the third highest earning driver in the sport, receiving approximately $34 million per year. His current contract with the team extends until 2028.

Despite Hamilton winning his first race since 2021 this past summer, it’s extremely rare that Ferrari would hire him as Leclerc’s backup given his current form. Spending such a large sum on a second driver, even one like Lewis Hamilton, is not common practice in Formula 1 today.

It would be highly improbable, even illogical, to propose that they brought him on board with the intention of relegating Leclerc to a secondary driving position.

John Elkann, the executive chairman of Ferrari, left no stone unturned in his efforts to secure Lewis Hamilton’s agreement, while Fred Vasseur, the team principal, has been methodically constructing a formidable force over time.

However, the renowned Formula 1 driver will turn 50 in January, and whether he renews his contract with Ferrari past 2026 remains uncertain. If he does, the duration of his tenure afterward is equally unclear.

Perhaps Vasseur can do what Wolff couldn’t and replace one all-time great with another.

Despite enduring numerous jokes for over a decade and a half, with each year being labeled as “their year” but consistently falling short due to poor strategy, slow cars, or self-inflicted driver errors, Ferrari is currently experiencing what appears to be one of their finest seasons since they claimed their last constructor title in 2008.

They have a legitimate opportunity to surpass McLaren, who are also aiming for their first championship since 1998, given their recent revival. If they manage to lead the way as they did at the start of the 2022 regulations, their current upward trend could persist for quite some time.

Concerning a partnership between Leclerc and Verstappen, there’s usually little on-track friction between them. Remarkably, Leclerc, since 2022, has been among the select few drivers who can challenge the reigning four-time champion in races.

In general terms, the intensity and skill demonstrated in their races surpasses that shown by Verstappen against both Hamilton and Lando Norris from McLaren.

Without multiple self-inflicted mistakes, tactical oversights, and technical problems, Leclerc could have had a genuine shot at competing for the championship three years back.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, previously with Red Bull and later Ferrari from 2015 to 2020, made a well-known statement that “Deep down, everyone is a Ferrari enthusiast. Regardless of what they claim, they are all secretly fans of Ferrari.

Over the past decade and a half, Hamilton has been frequently associated with Ferrari numerous times, yet it wasn’t until recently that he actually joined them. So many people who saw the news at 2:00 a.m. ET that fateful morning thought it was a prank because it spread on social media more than typical jokes.

Back in February, Scuderia was ready to take significant risks, and it seems likely they would be prepared to do so again when the statistical Greatest of All Time (GOAT) retires from racing and hangs up his red race suit several years later.

As far as Verstappen remains in competition, shouldn’t another driver be considered the front-runner for the position, assuming Ferrari can consistently deliver a competitive setup?

In his own words, “never say never”.

Read More

2025-02-01 14:32

Previous post Zara McDermott’s Wild Night Out
Next post Linda Nolan’s Glitter Pink Coffin and Emotional Funeral Details Revealed