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Max Verstappen could replace Hamilton at Ferrari after ruling out Mercedes

Originally posted on HITC | By Kyle Archer | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 9:18 AM ET

Even though Red Bull managed to keep Max Verstappen from making a switch to Mercedes for the 2026 season, the four-time champion is still interested in a move away from his current team.

Toto Wolff decided against extending contracts for George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli beyond 2025, holding out hope that Verstappen would make himself available. However, he later confirmed during the Dutch Grand Prix that Mercedes will stick with their current lineup.

Russell and Antonelli are both out of contract at the end of this season and haven’t signed new deals yet. But Verstappen has ruled himself out as an option after stating at the Hungarian Grand Prix, “I’m staying” at Red Bull for 2026.

Verstappen’s contract keeps him at Red Bull until 2028. His release clause only becomes active if he’s outside the top three in the drivers’ standings by the summer break – a situation that didn’t come into play this year.

Max Verstappen ‘waiting’ to take over from Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2027

Toto Wolff spoke with Max Verstappen’s management about a possible move to Mercedes, while the Dutchman was also linked to Ferrari despite Lewis Hamilton only joining Charles Leclerc this season.

Hamilton signed a two-year deal with Ferrari starting in 2025, but the partnership hasn’t delivered as expected so far. F1-Insider has now reported that Verstappen is ‘waiting in the wings’ to take over from Hamilton when his contract ends, suggesting that ‘anything seems possible’.

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While Mercedes boss Wolff spent months trying to bring Verstappen over, it’s clear why a move to Ferrari is appealing. Red Bull are designing their own engine for next season, and Verstappen will want to see how they adapt before making any decisions.

If Red Bull struggle under the new regulations as some expect, there could be an early exit. Verstappen has an option to leave after 2026 if he isn’t inside the top two in the standings by next summer.

Ferrari could look to Verstappen if Hamilton steps away after 2026

Red Bull will be pleased that Verstappen isn’t heading to Mercedes in 2026, given how important he is to their plans. But keeping him in Milton Keynes might just be postponing a bigger issue if they can’t deliver a car capable of winning next season.

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There are already suggestions that Ferrari would move quickly for Verstappen if Hamilton decides to retire when his contract runs out after the 2026 season. While the Briton does have an option to extend into 2027, his switch to Maranello hasn’t gone as planned so far.

Hamilton’s crash at Zandvoort marked his first retirement since joining Ferrari, and he’s now gone two races without scoring points. Following a P12 finish in Hungary, he even remarked that Ferrari “need to change driver.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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