Lewis Hamilton F1 News: Champion dealt Red Bull blow as Max Verstappen teases HISTORIC challenge

Composite of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in F1 cooldown room — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton dealt Red Bull blow as Verstappen teases HISTORIC championship challenge

Will Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton go head-to-head for the title again in F1?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 15 December 2024 21:02 Updated: 22:06

Lewis Hamilton has been dealt a blow by Red Bull as star driverMax Verstappen teases a historic championship challenge.

Verstappen was declared a four-time world champion following the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2024, which leaves the Dutchman just three championships away from catching his former rival Hamilton.

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As the British icon prepares to join Ferrari in 2025, Hamilton will be looking to add an eighth world title to his tally and become the most decorated driver of all time.

However, if Red Bull provides a competitive package for Verstappen up until his contract expires 2028, there is a chance he could snatch the record from Hamilton which the Mercedes racer currently shares with another sporting legend, Michael Schumacher.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen experienced a tense rivalry in 2021

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Can Lewis Hamilton win an eighth world title?

Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast, journalist Lawrence Barretto discussed the chance of Verstappen claiming eight world titles, revealing that the Dutchman is now entertaining the prospect.

"I think he can go on to win eight,

"When I was chatting to him about that he kind of independently brought it up when I mentioned your Sebastian Vettel’s, your Alain Prost’s, people who have won four championships, he was the one who brought up that eight championships is possible," Barretto declared.

"He didn’t say that he wants to win eight but he brought the fact that it is potentially there on the table and that is a new thing because I’ve not heard him talk about that before because it’s always been about ‘take it one year at a time’ and I do think that is how he approaches it, one year at a time."

Can Max Verstappen stay in F1 long enough to claim eight world titles?

"The fact that he is even entertaining that prospect when sometimes on the bad days he talks about you know, ‘I don’t have to do this forever, I love racing so I might go off and do other motorsports, I might go and do sim racing', but this was the first time when he was talking about being there.

"I don’t think he’s doing it to be part of the greats, I don’t think he’s doing it to say he has won the most, I think he can just see now that he can do it."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Las Vegas Grand Prix