Max Verstappen could team up with a driver whom Lewis Hamilton described as his "best team-mate" (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton shared a particularly close bond with one team-mate during their time together at Mercedes, and F1 rival Max Verstappen could be next to benefit from his services
Reigning Formula 1 king Max Verstappen could take a page from Lewis Hamilton’s book by teaming up with Valtteri Bottas in 2025.
That’s after Hamilton, 39, reportedly didn’t want to part ways with Bottas at Mercedes and once hailed the Finn as the “best team-mate I’ve had.” Verstappen, 27, has been partnered with Sergio Perez at Red Bull since 2021, but the Mexican’s lacklustre showings this year have fuelled rumours the team might be eyeing a new partner for their star driver.
With most drivers either sticking with their teams or having deals elsewhere for next year, Red Bull’s options are thin on the ground. Yet F1 pundit Jennie Gow has suggested Bottas could be a surprise candidate to become Verstappen’s next comrade.
Bottas, 35, is set to leave Sauber and will be without a drive for 2025 following the news that Gabriel Bortoleto is joining Nico Hulkenberg at the newly branded Audi team. The former Silver Arrows star isn’t short on experience or success, boasting 10 race victories and a tight-knit history with Hamilton during their five-year stint as team-mates at Mercedes.
It was after parting ways with Bottas – who finished as runner-up to his championship-winning colleague in 2019 and 2020 – that Hamilton hailed the Finn’s contributions. The Daily Express reported he said at the time: “He has been the best team-mate I’ve had the pleasure of working with.”
“Your speed and resilience has been impressive but where you truly stand out to me is the human being you are, you are greater than you know and I know there’s a bright future ahead for you.”
Meanwhile, ex-F1 team boss Peter Windsor revealed on his YouTube channel that Hamilton was keen on keeping Bottas at Mercedes, and not just for his personal affection. He said: “Lewis always wanted to keep Valtteri, not necessarily because he loved Valtteri but because it was the right balance of the team”.
Gow floated the idea of Bottas joining Red Bull during a recent appearance on The Fast and Curious podcast. He said: “If I said the words to you, ‘Valtteri Bottas joins Red Bull’, would you find that totally weird?
“Just say Red Bull were looking for a stop gap for that second seat. If you looked at second drivers, someone who would just sit in that seat, do what they’ve been asked to do. He’s fast, he plays the team game very well. If they were looking for a stop gap, so they didn’t expose their younger drivers to too much too soon, I would say that would be a good fit.
“We know Carlos Sainz can’t go [to Red Bull], he’s already signed with Williams and the dads [Jos Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Sr] don’t get on. So you can’t put him in that seat, but someone like a Valtteri Bottas [could work].
When pressed about the plausibility of Bottas stepping into Perez’s shoes, she added: “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone has really thought that through, but then I wondered: ‘Is this my lightbulb moment?’ It seems quite brilliant.”
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