Max Verstappen has discussed the prospect of joining Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari.
After it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025, Max Verstappen already hinted that he would be open to returning to the team. After the upcoming campaign, Toto Wolff and the Silver Arrows will have to work quickly to find a driver to partner with George Russell as the Brit announced his dramatic switch on Thursday.
In order to realize his “dream” of joining Charles Leclerc and driving a Ferrari red next year, Hamilton referred to his choice as a “leap of faith.” Although the 39-year-old signed a new contract with the team in August, his departure has left Mercedes with a significant hole that they were not prepared for.
Verstappen is the ideal replacement in their eyes. The Dutchman set a record last season with 19 race wins, and he has won the last three titles. But he has a contract with Red Bull through 2028, so it would take a lot of convincing to get him to quit Christian Horner’s squad.
It was also thought to be unlikely that Hamilton would leave Mercedes, but Wolff has made it clear that he wants to pair Russell with the best driver available.
Wolff said, “We will always try to have the best possible combination in our car and seek out these discussions,” in response to the question of whether Verstappen might be headed to Mercedes. It’s evident how quickly things can turn around. We also honor existing contracts at the same time.
“Being in the fastest car is always the goal of drivers. It is our responsibility to prove that we are capable of producing the fastest car over the long haul in addition to the short and medium terms. Opportunities will then result from this. Now it is our turn to play.
Verstappen also made a suggestion that he might not be entirely opposed to the idea of joining Mercedes. When asked about a possible move to the Silver Arrows in the future, Verstappen told De Telegraph, “That’s indeed a very different environment.”
“It’s critical to always speak your mind and remain loyal to who you are. Where that is doesn’t really matter to me. In a situation like this, if a team truly wants me, they will also try, and you can probably modify some things. You kind of meet in the middle.”
It would be very difficult to break up Verstappen’s relationship with Red Bull, but Mercedes might be able to point to the new rules that are expected to take effect in 2026 and probably make engines the dominant force.
Given that Wolff’s team has historically produced the best Formula One engines, they may have a big advantage over Hamilton and Ferrari, their next opponents.
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