It’s an open secret in the Formula 1 paddock that several teams are interested in signing Max Verstappen from Red Bull if he ever becomes available.
After winning four consecutive drivers’ championships with Red Bull, 27-year-old Max Verstappen will be looking to win a fifth title in 2025 and match Michael Schumacher’s record.
However, if the end of last season is anything to go by, it’s unlikely to be straightforward for Verstappen to match Schumacher’s remarkable feat.
Nico Rosberg thinks Lando Norris is the favourite for 2025, while Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will both fancy their chances after how strongly the Scuderia finished the previous campaign.
Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, has made his feelings clear that his son should explore his options in the paddock if Red Bull are no longer at the front of the grid.
Aston Martin are keen on signing Verstappen and the lure of working with Adrian Newey and Honda again might appeal to the Dutchman.
Toto Wolff is also a big fan of Verstappen and while Mercedes don’t have a vacancy right now, they would ultimately make space for the 27-year-old if he became available.
Jan Lammers thinks most F1 fans want to see Max Verstappen race for Ferrari
Former F1 driver Jan Lammers was speaking to RacingNews365 about the changes happening on the grid this season.
In particular, he was discussing Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari and explained, “Well, I love it. Development and change is always nice anyway, but it is also difficult for a lot of people.
“Especially for the older ones, they always have some trouble with it. But I think it’s beautiful.
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“Old goes and young comes and in this case… I think most fans would like to see Verstappen at Ferrari as well.
“You always want to see something like that, how would such a driver do at Ferrari? It’s obviously an iconic brand and that combination with Hamilton and all his fans.”
Jan Lammers explains why 2025 could be ‘hugely difficult’ for Lewis Hamilton
Although Lammers thinks many people would love to see Verstappen turn out for the £3.8bn-valued Ferrari team, right now, it’s Hamilton under the microscope at Maranello.
Discussing his upcoming season, he said: “I think it is wonderful, but I do think it is going to be a hugely difficult year [for Hamilton].
“Look, when things go well, the bell rings not only in Maranello but all over Italy.
“When things are going well at Ferrari, the sky is the limit and everyone loves each other and everything is great, but if things are even slightly not quite right and a bit of criticism arises…
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“As soon as a bit of negative media comes out, that is often a chain reaction for all sorts of other things as well.
“If things go well it will be a dream year for Ferrari and Hamilton, but as soon as there is a bit of resistance and friction, he is going to have a very difficult time.”
Hamilton is no stranger to pressure and while the expectation on a Ferrari driver is much bigger than anything he felt at McLaren or Mercedes, he’s dealt with similar environments throughout his career.
There have been question marks about Hamilton’s qualifying pace but fans will get a better idea of whether that was just down to Mercedes’ car this year.
Lammers is right though, the prospect of Verstappen racing for Ferrari – either in place of Hamilton or even better alongside him – would arguably make them the strongest driver pairing in the history of the sport.
