Lewis Hamilton Says Mercedes Is Definitely Looking At Max Verstappen As His Replacement

After a pretty dull Bahrain Grand Prix, the Formula 1 world has provided some incredible drama in the days since unfortunately, none of it was on track.

You've got the president of the FIA under investigation for allegedly trying to interfere with races, members of Alpine's technical department quitting after one terrible race, and of course, the ongoing saga involving Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

He was accused — but ultimately cleared by the team — of inappropriate behavior toward a female employee. Then, just before the Bahrain Grand Prix, a folder containing texts, images, and video alleged to have been sent by Horner was passed to other team principals, the FIA, Formula 1, and journalists.

It's a headache, and Jos Verstappen — Max Verstappen's old man and a former F1 driver himself — made public comments about the situation and its effect on the team.

This has led to speculation that Verstappen's time with Red Bull may be winding down unless there's a leadership change, and that doesn't seem to be happening.

So, could he wind up elsewhere? Well, Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that Mercedes is considering all options to replace him, and that includes Verstappen.

To be fair, you've got to think they're considering every possible option from F2 rookie and Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli to current standouts on the grid without deals in 2025 like Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz to a three-time champ like Verstappen.

According to the BBC, Verstappen downplayed the idea of switching teams. He did, however, note that his father was "not a liar" when asked about comments he had made about the Horner situation driving a wedge between different parts of the team. 

But it would appear that that's not enough for him to seek employment elsewhere.

"The intention is absolutely to stay with this team because I really enjoy it and I am happy within the team," Verstappen said on Wednesday. "As long as we perform, there is no reason to leave."

And that's the thing, any move by Verstappen would be a lateral one at best, but considering how dominant he and Red Bull have been, it would likely be a complete step down the grid for him no matter where he'd move to.

Toto Wolff has said he will take his time making a selection for the empty Mercedes seat, and that's the domino that needs to fall before the driver market heats up again.

Could they go to Verstappen? I doubt it, but then again, who thought Lewis Hamilton would really wind up at Ferrari?