It has been three years since Lewis Hamilton was involved in a dramatic Formula 1 championship fight with Max Verstappen.
Their rivalry hasn’t disappeared though, and next year could see Verstappen and Hamilton go to battle again when the latter joins Ferrari.
Red Bull ended 2024 without having the fastest car as McLaren and the Scuderia out-developed them throughout the season.
Verstappen shares an outstanding trait with Hamilton which involves him staying out of trouble early in races – something which could come in handy as the field gets closer in 2025.
Expect to see him spare no quarter for his old rival though, who has been subject to a sub-par last few seasons with an underperforming Mercedes machine.
Helmut Marko has warned Verstappen to be careful next season after picking up more penalty points at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, leaving him just four from a possible one-race ban.
Lewis Hamilton says two cars into Copse ‘doesn’t always work out’ in light Max Verstappen dig
One of the biggest storylines of the 2021 season was the major crashes that both Verstappen and Hamilton were held up in.
At the Italian Grand Prix, the Dutchman’s audacious attempt to overtake round the outside of turn one left him on top of the Brit’s airbox, forcing both to retire from the race.
Their British Grand Prix shunt was even bigger, as Verstappen attempted to go around the outside of the seven-time champion at the high-speed Copse corner on lap one.
READ MORE: What left Helmut Marko ‘worried’ about Max Verstappen during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend
Toto Wolff says Hamilton decided he wasn’t going to yield and the Red Bull driver speared into the barrier after contact – causing a red flag.
Speaking to Martin Brundle for Sky Sports F1, Hamilton took a cheeky dig at Verstappen for attempting the move.
“How you guys go side-by-side into Copse, I have no idea,” said Brundle.
“It doesn’t always work out, as you know,” Hamilton replied.
Will Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton fight for a championship in 2025?
A few things need to fall in place before fans get to see another Hamilton vs Verstappen fight for the Drivers’ Championship.
Red Bull have some car development to conduct over the winter to catch up with their rivals, especially if they want to stand any chance of recapturing the Constructors’ title.
Hamilton and Ferrari could take a risk on his first car, but they need to ensure that they hit the ground running and are competitive from the start of the season.
READ MORE: Felipe Massa says Lewis Hamilton faces one problem at Ferrari that even Michael Schumacher couldn’t deal with
As witnessed with McLaren’s chase this year, recovering from a points deficit is incredibly difficult even with a car advantage.
So going too bold with their design could leave them backtracking on upgrades as they did this season after the Spanish Grand Prix and waste a lot of time.
Leave feedback about this