Lewis Hamilton no longer a threat as Marko ‘doubts’ Verstappen rivalry return

Oliver Harden
Lewis Hamilton looks deep in thought in conversation with a group of Ferrari engineers

Lewis Hamilton in conversation with a group of Ferrari engineers, including new race engineer Riccardo Adami

New Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton is unlikely to beat Max Verstappen to the World Championship even if the Red Bull RB21 proves to be a “mediocre” car in F1 2025.

That is the claim of Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko, who “doubts” Hamilton can still keep up with Verstappen over the course of a full season even with a faster car.

Lewis Hamilton no longer a threat to Max Verstappen?

Hamilton made his first public appearances as a Ferrari driver this week, visiting the team’s Maranello factory on Monday before enjoying his first test at the Fiorano test track on Wednesday.

The seven-time World Champion completed a total of 30 laps behind the wheel of the 2023 car at Fiorano, with Hamilton treated to a warm reception by Ferrari and the Tifosi, the team’s hardcore fans.

Hamilton, who turned 40 earlier this month, continues to search for a record-breaking eighth Championship having been dethroned by Verstappen in highly controversial circumstances at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Having been limited to just two race victories over the last three seasons, Hamilton will be hoping his move to Ferrari can propel him to an eighth title in F1 2025.

However, Marko believes Hamilton can no longer be considered a threat to Verstappen in the race for the World Championship, questioning whether the veteran can still match the Red Bull driver over an entire season.

And he is also prepared to discard Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc from the title race, arguing that the Monegasque makes too many mistakes, with no drivers “standing out” as a danger to Verstappen.

Marko told German publication Sport Bild: “The two race teams [McLaren and Ferrari] had the best base for their cars last season and were able to perform well on most circuits.

“They can build on that, but none of the drivers stand out for me.

“Charles Leclerc is good in qualifying but makes a lot of mistakes in the races.

“And Lewis Hamilton still has the speed, but can he keep that up for a whole season? I have my doubts about that.

“Even if he has a good Ferrari and we build a mediocre Red Bull for Max, I would put my money on Max.”

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Marko went on to hail Verstappen as the most complete driver in modern F1, claiming he can extract more from his machinery than his closest competitors.

Verstappen suffered his longest winless streak in four years in 2024, going 10 races without a win between June and November.

Yet he still managed to secure a fourth consecutive World Championship, seeing off McLaren driver Lando Norris by a final margin of 63 points.

It saw Verstappen become only the second driver in F1 history after Red Bull icon Sebastian Vettel to win his first four titles in successive years, with the 27-year-old targeting a fifth crown in F1 2025.

Marko said: “Max is not only the fastest, but the best in Formula 1 from the overall package.

“He gets 0.1 to 0.2 seconds out of the car per lap that no other driver finds.

“Now it’s up to us to build him a car that lets him not only temporarily, but constantly drive for victories.

“Our working window has to get bigger.”

Marko’s latest comments come after he confidently predicted that Verstappen will remain with Red Bull for the F1 2026 season after storming to a fifth title in 2025.

Despite being contracted until the end of the F1 2028 season, Verstappen has been frequently linked with a move away from Red Bull over the last 12 months with Mercedes and Aston Martin viewed as potential destinations.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at last year’s Dutch Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed that Verstappen’s deal contains a “performance element” potentially allowing him to leave before 2028 if the team fail to provide a competitive car.

Media reports have speculated that Verstappen could be free to trigger an exit clause if he is lower than third in the Drivers’ standings after a ‘significant’ part of the F1 2025 season has been completed.

Marko expressed confidence that Red Bull will be able to avert that scenario, tipping Verstappen to stay put for F1 2026 after another title triumph in 2025.

He said: “I don’t comment on the content of the contract, but in any case we are confident that we can provide Max with a good car.

“Our engineers have made good progress with the data. We are optimistic.”

Asked specifically about Mercedes’ interest in Verstappen, Marko replied: “That’s all well and good, but Max has a contract with us until the end of 2028.”

The 81-year-old went on to claim that Verstappen’s affection for the Red Bull team will lead to him staying put, adding: “Especially because I know how loyal and grateful he is to Red Bull.

“That is why he will also be a Red Bull driver in 2026 as a five-time World Champion.”

Read next:?How Max Verstappen to Mercedes could shake up F1 2026 driver market

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