When news broke of Hamilton’s decision to leave Mercedes to join Ferrari for 2025, many speculated that Verstappen would be the natural choice to replace him. However, Verstappen seemed on course to see out his Red Bull contract, which expires at the end of 2028. This was until the ongoing controversy surrounding Christian Horner led Verstappen’s father Jos to claim Red Bull would be “torn apart” if the team principal remained in place.
As speculation grew over the position of Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko regarding rumours he leaked information to the press, it became evident that Verstappen’s future was tied to the Austrian. Verstappen even had a ‘Marko clause’ inserted into his contract, allowing him to exit early should the 80-year-old Marko depart. All these internal struggles at Red Bull added fuel to the idea that Verstappen could potentially replace Hamilton at Mercedes from 2025.
Speaking to Fox Sports Australia, Mercedes motorsport boss Wolff expressed his admiration for the “extraordinary” Verstappen and hinted at a future partnership. Wolff mentioned that Mercedes would make a decision towards the summer but noted that the outcome “depends on what Max does”. In the past, Mercedes missed out on signing Verstappen while he was racing in Formula 3 due to not being able to offer him a topflight seat at that time.
Wolff revealed that he had a good relationship with Verstappen’s father and even tried to secure a deal for Verstappen in Formula 1 back in 2014. However, Red Bull ultimately offered him a seat at Toro Rosso, which led to his eventual promotion to Red Bull Racing. Wolff acknowledged that the relationship with Verstappen could come full circle in the future, indicating that a move to Mercedes might be on the cards.
Wolff made it clear that Verstappen is currently the ‘number one pick’ to replace Hamilton at Mercedes. However, he did not completely rule out other candidates such as Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, and FIA F2 racer Andrea Kimi Antontelli. The decision ultimately rests on Verstappen’s future plans and how they align with Mercedes’ goals in the upcoming seasons.
The potential of Max Verstappen moving to Mercedes in the future is a topic of much speculation and interest in the Formula 1 community. With both parties showing mutual admiration and interest, it will be fascinating to see how the situation unfolds in the coming months and whether Verstappen will make the switch to the reigning champions.