Hamilton keen to see Verstappen go to Mercedes: here's why!

Lewis Hamilton is no fool. He knows better than anyone else that a Formula 1 team's dominance is usually only broken the moment the regulations are shaken up. Friend and foe alike assumed until recently that Max Verstappen would be unbeatable with Red Bull Racing in 2024 and 2025, whistling his way to world championships four and five. Hamilton will no doubt have thought that his best - and perhaps only - chance of another championship is in 2026 when new regulations come in, and everyone starts at zero.

Verstappen to Mercedes in 2025?

But Red Bull Racing's internal problems could just cause all logic to go down the drain and things do get exciting in 2025. If Helmut Marko has to leave Red Bull or if Christian Horner refuses to resign, there is a real chance that Verstappen will pack up after the current season. Mercedes is then the only serious option, provided the Dutchman does not retire from F1 of course. Except that Mercedes car is not top notch at the moment. Anything but.

Verstappen is admittedly a world-class driver, someone who has no direct competition at the minute. It is not out of the question that Verstappen would compete for Grand Prix victories even with Mercedes' W15, that is how good the 26-year-old currently is. However, Verstappen cannot perform miracles either. So a similar dominance to Red Bull is not realistic. Indeed, with Verstappen in a weaker car than the RB20, the F1 championship seems completely open.

Who could succeed Verstappen?

Sergio Perez currently in the second Red Bull does not manage to dominate as much as his teammate does. The Mexican is a good driver but not the absolute best. Without Verstappen with the Austrians and with Perez as the front-runner, a world title is no longer a certainty. Perez is too inconsistent for that and too often fails in qualifying. Of course, Red Bull will attract a replacement if Verstappen leaves. They are never going to be of the same level and even the category of drivers just behind them is fixed elsewhere.

Charles Leclerc is Ferrari's future, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have committed to McLaren for several years. Incidentally, the latter two are no guarantee of success, having never won a Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz is free though, a driver who has to make room for Hamilton at Ferrari for good reason.

Fernando Alonso is also contractable, but the Spaniard is already turning 43. Alex Albon could also be an option. The Thai has succumbed to pressure from a top team in the past. Meanwhile, he has grown as a driver, but whether he is a structural race winner? In other words, without Verstappen, Red Bull Racing will probably get two nice drivers in the cockpits but not world-beaters. That the Bulls then have the best car on the grid is secondary in such a case.

Lewis Hamilton has seen that Ferrari are second to Red Bull. Charles Leclerc regularly beat Perez last year, and if the Monegasque can do it, surely Hamilton can, too. Thus, the road to the world title in 2025 could suddenly be open to the Briton if Verstappen at least cooperates for a while.