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• Former F1 driver JJ Lehto thinks Verstappen could sign with Mercedes.
• Rumors are circulating that Lewis Hamilton could join Verstappen at Red Bull next year.
• Red Bull is behind Mercedes in 2020.
• For more motorsports stories, visit www.Wheels24.co.za
Max Verstappen will “keep the door open” for a possible switch to Mercedes.
That’s the opinion of former F1 driver JJ Lehto, following wild rumors that Lewis Hamilton could become Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate.
“I was wondering what Eddie had been drinking,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner after former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan suggested the pair could form a team.
Max to Mercedes?
A slightly more plausible theory is that it could be Dutchman Verstappen addressing Mercedes, perhaps thanks to an exit clause in his Red Bull contract.
When asked about it, Horner said: “Obviously, the contract between the driver and the team will always be confidential.”
Mercedes has already signed Valtteri Bottas for 2021, but Hamilton is so far holding a deal amid rumors that Toto Wolff’s role in the dominant team could change.
Should Verstappen sign with Mercedes in 2021, if the opportunity presents itself? Send us an email.
That could be an opportunity for Verstappen.
“Sure,” Lehto told the Iltalehti newspaper. “A driver of that caliber will keep the door open in all directions.”
Verstappen is in a comfortable position at Red Bull, but Lehto says the fact that Mercedes is consistently faster will mean that it will always be an option on the 23-year-old’s mind.
Lehto adds: “With Red Bull, Max is able to win, albeit occasionally. There is nothing to suggest that the balance of power will change dramatically in the coming years. Red Bull is second best and Mercedes is number one.”
It seems unlikely that there will be a Verstappen-Hamilton pairing, but Lehto admits that it would be a move that would please fans, saying: “It would be fireworks on the track and behind the scenes. It would be two rock-hard drivers who would not budge one inch. “
