Following the bombshell announcement of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025, the Formula 1 community was hit with a shockwave of surprise. It was sudden and surprising news for everyone, especially those on the Mercedes side.
Mercedes is ready to move on from this and now looks busy finding answers to the heated topic as to ‘who should be Hamilton’s ideal replacement’. Out of the many F1 pundits involved in this debate, one ex-F1 driver has advised Mercedes to sign Max Verstappen, the reigning World Champion, as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes urged to consider Verstappen as Hamilton replacement
Former Formula 1 driver Christian Danner is the latest F1 figure to spill his thoughts into the heated discussion as to who should Mercedes sign for replacing Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
In a media interview, the ex-F1 driver Danner put Max Verstappen’s name into the mix, suggesting Mercedes sign the Dutchman in 2025. “Every driver who is at Silver Arrows level has to be a topic. That’s why Mercedes also has to think about Max Verstappen!” he said.
Emphasizing Verstappen’s ‘high caliber’ capabilities, he added, “Max would of course be the best possible solution”.
Max Verstappen still has a long-term contract with Red Bull that will expire at 2028’s end. But, despite this, Christian Danner has urged Mercedes to go all out for Verstappen, stating, “There must be no legal or monetary obstacles. Age doesn’t matter at all either. The same applies to contracts”.
If Mercedes can pull this off, Verstappen will undoubtedly be an ‘ideal’ replacement for the outgoing Lewis Hamilton, who might face a big problem at Ferrari.
Big problem for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Swiss F1 expert Marc Surer, a former Formula 1 driver, has recently brought up the ‘other side of the coin’ for Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. He suggested that Lewis Hamilton is taking a ‘big risk’ switching to the Italian Giants.
During an interview with the Formula1.de YouTube channel, Surer pointed out that Hamilton will have to play ‘catch-up’ with Charles Leclerc. “Leclerc is a big problem for [Hamilton] because Leclerc will be faster. Anything else would surprise me,” he told.
Backing up his claim, he brought up the ‘Nico Rosberg-Michael Schumacher’ situation at Ferrari: “It reminds me a bit of the situation with Michael Schumacher during his comeback with Mercedes. A certain Nico Rosberg put him in his place. And Lewis Hamilton could feel the same way.”
It’s still a good 13 months away before the ‘Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc’ partnership rolls onto the F1 tracks.
Can Mercedes tempt Max Verstappen away from Red Bull? Will Lewis Hamilton fail to shine in Ferrari’s red suits? Let us know what you think in the comments.
