Helmut Marko does not believe at all in Max Verstappen moving to Mercedes in 2025
With Lewis Hamilton's departure to Ferrari, Mercedes must find another driver to team up with George Russell. The crazy rumor of Max Verstappen starting to surface, however, according to Helmut Marko, the Dutchman's arrival at the German team will not happen.
The announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari marks the start of this transfer season. Carlos Sainz has to find a new team and a seat at Mercedes is now open alongside George Russell.
It is also necessary to add more than a dozen drivers who are entering the last year of their contracts with their respective teams. Some are “locked in” for several years, like Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, who recently extended their contracts, or Max Verstappen, tied to Red Bull until 2028.
If Mercedes takes its time to make “the best possible choice”, according to Toto Wolff’s words, the star brand will want to recruit the best possible driver to replace the seven-time world champion.
« So many things have happened with Mercedes in the past.
Lately, the crazy rumor of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes in 2025 has started to surface. Hiring the driver who dominated the past two F1 seasons would be the perfect move for the brand with the star. However, Helmut Marko doesn’t believe at all in the Dutchman’s departure towards the German team.
“It’s actually his job as the team boss, for him (Toto Wolff, editor’s note) to do everything he can to have the best drivers. But Max has a good memory. And too much has happened with Mercedes in the past. I just remember Silverstone in 2021 or the turmoil at the time during the finale in Abu Dhabi the same year. It’s deeply rooted,” details Helmut Marko.
« Perhaps Hamilton has noticed something that the outside world doesn’t know yet. The question remains whether this will strengthen Ferrari. For the sport as a whole, it’s incredibly exciting because something is happening, continues the Austrian.
