World champion Max Verstappen is the perfect substitute for Lewis Hamilton, who Mercedes is currently looking to replace.
Christian Danner, a former Formula One driver, has proposed that Mercedes should get over all “financial and legal barriers” in order to sign Max Verstappen for the 2025 season. The decision by Lewis Hamilton to join Ferrari at the end of the upcoming season has left Toto Wolff with a huge void in his driver lineup.
Hamilton will have finished his 12th season with Mercedes by the end of the 2024 season, but it will also be his last. The seven-time world champion has decided to switch teams late in his career and believes that Ferrari offers him the best chance to challenge Michael Schumacher for the top spot in the records and win back the championship.
Although it appears that George Russell will remain at Brackley, Wolff is currently without a clear successor for Hamilton due to the lack of an immediate succession plan. There are many options available to the Austrian, but none are more appealing than Red Bull’s star driver, considering that 13 of the 20 drivers on the grid have contracts expiring next winter.
Regarding possible Hamilton replacements, Danner told the German news outlet Bild that “every name has to be discussed.” There should be no financial or legal barriers.
“Age is also completely irrelevant. Contracts are no different. Every Silver Arrows driver needs to be the talk of the town. Mercedes must therefore consider Max Verstappen as well.
Getting the Dutchman, however, won’t be simple. After winning his first championship in 2021, Verstappen signed a massive contract with Red Bull that would keep him there until the end of the 2028 season. What makes matters worse financially are the 26-year-old’sdevotionto his team.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has even suggested that the Dutchman will make an attempt at it. He told sport.de that Verstappen “has a good memory” and will not forget the Mercedes boss’s criticism following the 2021 British Grand Prix disaster.
Danner added that the Silver Arrows ought to attempt to sign one of the two McLaren drivers, who are both bound by long-term contracts, should Verstappen prove to be unenticed by a move to Mercedes.
“Max would be the ideal option, without a doubt, but Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who drive for McLaren, would also be excellent choices to replace Lewis,” Danner clarified. “If they have the right car, both have everything they need to win multiple World Championship titles.”
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