Did Verstappen call for Ferrari to ditch Hamilton? F1 champion drops team move plan

Hamilton, Verstappen, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Did Verstappen call for Ferrari to ditch Hamilton? F1 champion drops team move plan

Max Verstappen talked team management

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 14 November 2025 08:13

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Max Verstappen should add team management to his list of accolades with the F1 champion recently revealing what it takes for a team to continue to succeed.

The Dutchman may not be the favourite to win the 2025 world drivers’ championship, but Verstappen remains at the peak of his career and arguably the most talented driver on the grid.

Once again, a drive from the back of the field in Brazil to the podium proved Verstappen’s pedigree ahead of his competitors and that he belongs amongst the names of greats that include Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.

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Hamilton, once a driver who could perform similar drives to Verstappen, is a man lost at a Ferrari, with talk after such a disappointing 2025 season that he could leave the sport as early as 2027.

Will Hamilton leave F1?

As Hamilton nears the end of his career, drivers such as Ollie Bearman continue to impress with the British youngster sweeping up 24 points in the past four rounds, sparking talks he could replace the seven-time world champion at Ferrari should Hamilton retire.

If this was Ferrari’s plan, then they would be well supported by Max Verstappen, who discussed what a team must to do in order to succeed in regards to their drivers during a recent podcast appearance.

"In Formula 1, when a veteran driver is at the peak of his career, you need another young driver to take over when his performance declines, someone talented enough to get close to that level, so that the team doesn't suffer and fall behind,” Verstappen explained on the Pelas Pistas podcast.

“It's like what Real Madrid does, which, in my opinion, is right...even though I'm a Barcelona fan. They have an excellent starting eleven, but they make sure to replace the veterans with young talents capable of taking over.”

While Verstappen does not explicitly reference Hamilton here, what the Dutchman describes can be prescribed to the Brit’s current predicament and provide Ferrari with something to consider for the future of their team.

F1 Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton