F1 champion Max Verstappen open to Ferrari move but on one condition

Thumbnail with Verstappen wearing a Ferrari suit — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen open to Ferrari move but on one condition

Max Verstappen has previously been linked with a move to Mercedes

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 17 September 2025 18:56

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has suggested that a future move to Ferrari could be on the cards, but only on one condition.

Verstappen has been a Red Bull driver since 2016, winning four consecutive championships between 2021-2024 to confirm himself as an all-time great of the sport.

However, his team's form in 2025 has dropped off, to the point where Verstappen has not been able to mount a serious challenge for the drivers' title despite being in scintillating form himself.

Article continues under video

That led to questions over his long-term future at Red Bull, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff publicly pursuing the Dutchman's services for 2026, but Verstappen has now confirmed he will stay with Red Bull for next year.

Beyond that, however, the future of the four-time champion is uncertain, with new regulations in 2026 likely to shape his decision making, using the year to see which team has mastered the regulation changes.

Verstappen has now provided an update on whether he will drive for Ferrari in the future, hinting that a future move to the Scuderia depends on the performance of the team, and not his own desire to race in red.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton opted to move to Ferrari for 2025 onwards, but has found himself not able to challenge for a single grand prix victory as of yet.

"I don't know, they definitely have two drivers for next year, so there are no discussions going on at the moment," Verstappen told Italian media ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

"Is there a chance? Yes, there are always chances in life, for every decision. Of course, that's not an issue right now, but who knows. Anyway, I don't even know how much longer I'll be driving in Formula 1, so there are still a lot of question marks for me.

Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari at the start of 2025

"Ferrari is a huge brand, and drivers naturally imagine 'I'd like to drive for Ferrari,' but I think that's also where the danger lies: 'just' driving for Ferrari is the mistake. Because if you want to drive for Ferrari, you really have to go there to win. If I ever wanted to go to Ferrari, it wouldn't be just to drive for Ferrari. No, it would be because I see the opportunity to win there.

"If you ultimately manage to win with Ferrari, that's even better, of course. But hey, you shouldn't let yourself be guided by emotions or passion for the brand. You should only go if you feel it's the right place to go.

"Will it ever be the right place for me? Who knows. We'll see next year how things stand with the new regulations, because that could turn the whole grid upside down."

Verstappen's frustrating 2025 season

Despite his team being fourth in the constructors' championship and his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda only scoring nine points across 14 race weekends, Verstappen has shone as bright as ever.

He's still claimed three race victories this season, and sits third in the drivers' championship, despite McLaren's dominance over the rest of the field.

The Dutchman is actually only 94 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri with eight races to go, but he is not expected to mount a late challenge for a record-equalling fifth consecutive title unless something dramatic happens to McLaren's pace.

Most people would agree that Verstappen has once again been a class above his rivals in 2025 though, and that it's his team's lack of pace that has stopped him from challenging Piastri and Lando Norris.

With a switch of team principal at Red Bull, Verstappen could well now be reinvigorated with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, but they will have to give him a better car in 2026 than they've managed in 2025 to keep their star driver long term.

F1 HEADLINES: Double driver replacement confirmed as legend to miss Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

View full biography

Red Bull Max Verstappen Ferrari