Home
Former F1 racer Johnny Herbert believes that Max Verstappen as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari does not seem to be a possibility. The 2025 F1 season has not been the best for both of the drivers.
Hamilton joined Ferrari amid a lot of fanfare. It was supposed to be the most successful partnership in the history of F1. That is not how it has turned out so far, though Hamilton's form as a driver has been a serious concern, and at the same time, the Italian team has seen a dip in their performance as well.
For Hamilton, it's not been easy, as his fellow teammate Charles Leclerc is performing considerably well. While Hamilton is yet to find a podium finish, Leclerc has already found five podium finishes and could have won the race in Hungary if not for issues with the car.
On the other hand, Max Verstappen is defending his championship but does not create enough impact to put up a strong fight. The Red Bull challengers are not fast enough as a result, the racer is lagging behind.
After Lewis Hamilton's outburst in front of the media in Hungary, there have been speculations of a possible retirement as well. If that happens, Johnny Herbert does not think a Ferrari-Max Verstappen partnership is on the table. As per Herbert, the team would opt for a younger talent, as he told Grosvenor Casino,
"I don't think Verstappen would arrive. I think Ferrari could focus on a youngster (Bearman is a Ferrari Driver Academy driver) or Sainz could return, given that I've read he'd always say yes to a call from Ferrari. He's struggling more than expected at Williams now, but he's been really strong at Ferrari and was on the same level as Leclerc, and ultimately, Sainz is still young."
Jean Alesi raises question on Lewis Hamilton's negative behaviour
Lewis Hamilton has started to face harsh criticism, as Ferrari icon Jean Alesi has slammed the racer's attitude, saying that it demoralized everyone around him. Alesi has been one of the legendary figures who played a crucial part in Ferrari's success, first as a racer and then having close ties after his retirement.
Alesi's criticism of Hamilton came after multiple media statements by the F1 legend that have seemingly not gone down well with him. The British racer surprised everyone last season when he revealed that he was leaving Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the season.
This statement was not received positively by Jean Alesi, who lambasted the driver for being negative. In his column, Alesi said that Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna would have never been like this. He said:
"I think Hamilton's attitude demoralizes those who work around him. Senna or Schumacher would never have said things like that."
The first few races after the summer break are going to be very important for Lewis Hamilton.
ADVERTISEMENT
