Max Verstappen’s Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari reaction after Helmut Marko’s ‘amused’ claim

Jamie Woodhouse
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have a chat in Las Vegas.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have a chat.

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko said Max Verstappen was “amused” by the news of Lewis Hamilton’s upcoming switch to Ferrari, though Verstappen has shown his support for the decision.

The latest Formula 1 ‘silly season’ kicked-off in a major way before the F1 2024 action had even got underway, following the shock announcement that Hamilton will be a Ferrari driver as of 2025.

Understandably that news has generated a major buzz throughout the series, while there is also now a huge seat to fill at Mercedes looking ahead to next season, after Hamilton will look to mount one final title push against Verstappen with the Silver Arrows.

Max Verstappen tells Lewis Hamilton to go for it on dream Ferrari move

Speaking to OE24, Marko was asked for Verstappen’s reaction when the Hamilton to Ferrari news broke, replying: “He was just amused.”

And Verstappen has since spoken to media, including PlanetF1.com, to elaborate on his feelings towards Hamilton’s Ferrari switch.

While stressing that he and the outside world has no idea what was said internally between Hamilton, his Mercedes team and Ferrari, Verstappen believes Hamilton is right to embark on this fresh career chapter with Ferrari if that is the urge he had.

Hamilton, who has been linked with a Ferrari move on various occasions in the past, said he will be living out a “childhood dream” by racing in Ferrari red.

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Speaking about Hamilton’s upcoming move to Ferrari at the launch of Red Bull’s F1 2024 challenger, the RB20, Verstappen said: “I mean, at the end of the day, if someone wants to drive for Ferrari, and especially someone like Lewis, you know having achieved so much, if that’s his dream and goal…

“And again, we don’t know the talks that they had at Mercedes and Ferrari, what his big goal is, what they think is coming. So you can’t give an honest assessment from our side why you make that decision.

“But if he is happy with that move then you should go. I think it will look cool. And of course, I hope for them that it’s going to be a success.”

Verstappen will not want too much success to come the way of Hamilton and Ferrari though, considering he has established himself as the dominant force of Formula 1.

And the Dutchman will hope that the RB20 is the challenger which he can drive to a fourth World Championship on the trot in F1 2024.

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