Three-time world champion Max Verstappen has been tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, despite the Dutchman’s discontent towards the team at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s long-term future with Red Bull has been called into question lately, despite the Dutchman being contracted with the world champions until 2028.
It is understood that there is a clause in that contract that would allow him to leave the team in 2026, or maybe even 2025.
Mercedes have been sniffing around Verstappen’s availability, with Toto Wolff naming him as his number one target to replace Hamilton, who will depart the team to join Ferrari next season.
Verstappen and Hamilton have long shared a fierce rivalry, which originated during the 2021 world championship, which was controversially snatched away from Hamilton at the last race of the season.
Last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix saw a return to that 2021-style rivalry between the pair, when Verstappen attempted a desperate overtake on Hamilton and collided with the Mercedes star.
While both drivers were able to carry on, Verstappen was investigated for his part in the incident, but no further action was taken against the three-time world champion.
Much to Hamilton’s dismay, Verstappen refused to take responsibility for the collision post-race, and even called for stewards to investigate the 39-year-old during the race.
Verstappen’s engineer called him ‘childish’ for that request, confirming that he didn’t think it was worth ‘getting in an argument with other teams over’.
Despite the clear rivalry that still exists between Mercedes and Red Bull, 2016 Formula 1 world champion and former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg believes there is a good chance Verstappen will still join the Brackley squad.
“If Max Verstappen, who is one of the top five drivers of all time, is available you have to take him straight away,” Rosberg told Sky Germany during the Hungarian GP weekend.
“And my gut feeling, from what I hear here, is that there is a more than a 50 per cent chance that he will make the switch to Mercedes.
“You also hear that with the engine development at Mercedes, especially for the new 2026 regulations, they really have a head start and that is of course also crucial.
“That was Mercedes’ big advantage back then, too, in my time, simply much more power than everyone else. That could be the case again. So yes, there is a big, good chance that that will happen.”
