Lewis Hamilton: Max Verstappen Is ‘Definitely’ on Mercedes F1’s List to Replace Me

Red Bull and Mercedes have one of the defining rivalries in F1, but a shocking move that would change the dynamics between the teams could eventually be in the works.

Lewis Hamilton, who has long been the face of the Mercedes team but will be heading to Ferrari in 2025, told reporters Wednesday his current team could replace his spot on the grid with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

Hamilton went as far as to say Verstappen is “definitely on the Mercedes list.”

Verstappen responded to questions about his future, telling reporters his intention is to “absolutely to stay with this team because I really enjoy it, and I’m really happy within the team.” Verstappen added that “as long as we perform, there is no reason to leave.”

It wasn’t long ago Hamilton and Mercedes were the gold standard of the sport.

He won six world championships in seven years from 2014 through 2020, which brought his career total to seven world championships. However, things have changed of late with Verstappen winning the last three world titles and Red Bull claiming two constructors’ titles.

The two constructors’ titles snapped Mercedes’ eight-year winning streak.

Yet it is a time of upheaval in F1 with Hamilton leaving his longtime team for Ferrari and Verstappen’s future with Red Bull at least in doubt enough for his rival to mention a potential move to Mercedes.

What’s more, Red Bull has been under the spotlight recently thanks to an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior by an employee.

Nate Saunders of ESPN noted Red Bull GmbH, which is the parent company of the race team, cleared team principal Christian Horner of misconduct. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and McLaren team principal Zak Brown asked F1 to seek more transparency from the investigation.

Perhaps most notably, Saunders reported Verstappen’s father, Jos, “reportedly told those close to him that his son will leave Red Bull if Horner stays” and even was “reported to have had dinner with Wolff.”

Jos Verstappen also told the Daily Mail, “There is tension here while [Horner] remains in position. The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

Wolff even addressed speculation about Verstappen’s future during a discussion with Sky Sports F1 (h/t Lydia Mee of FanNation).

“The market is very interesting,” he said. “For a driver, the most important thing is to be with whoever is fastest, and there is no reason now for Max to leave Red Bull anytime soon. But we’ll see what happens.”

Losing Hamilton figured to be difficult for Mercedes given his history and overall meaning to the team.

However, replacing him with the three-time reigning world champion would both keep it in position to compete in 2025 and beyond and be quite the blow for its rival, Red Bull, in the process.