Baby in Red, Champion in Blue- Max Verstappen Resists the Ferrari Temptation That Lured Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton deserves huge credit for waking the entire F1 community up, just weeks before the season gets underway. He announced that he would join Ferrari in 2025, fulfilling a childhood dream of his.  There could be other factors that influenced this move, but driving for the iconic Italian stable has to be right up there. This prestige once had a place in Max Verstappen‘s heart too, but unlike Hamilton, he avoided the Ferrari temptation.

In a video that the F1 Chequered Flag shared,  Verstappen can be seen making his way to the Red Bull motorhomes. There, the group prepared the room with balloons and several photos in his honor, as he just won the world championship. One of the photos showed a young Verstappen, dressed in all red, sporting the Ferrari colors.

As soon as he saw that photo, Verstappen apologized to Christian Horner. Later in another interview, the Dutchman explained why he donned the Ferrari shirt. Verstappen’s father Jos, shared a good friendship with Ferrari and F1 legend Michael Schumacher, which contributed to his childhood fashion choice.

He is happy to be at Red Bull, and even though he recognizes Ferrari’s amazing history, and brand value, Verstappen will not be lured away from Milton-Keynes.

Could Max Verstappen choose Mercedes?

Mercedes will now have to look for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, before the 2025 season commences. Rumor has it that Toto Wolff was even open to having Verstappen drive for them. The reason behind this is simple. Verstappen is the best in F1 at the moment, and has won three consecutive world titles.

However, Red Bull will not be worried about Verstappen ditching them. Speaking about the same to OE24, team chief Helmut Marko reminded everyone of Verstappen’s history with Mercedes.

He said, ” Too much has happened in the past. I just remember Silverstone or the turmoil at the finale in Abu Dhabi. This runs deep.”

What Marko intended to convey is that Verstappen would never forget incidents like the 2021 Silverstone crash, and prejudice he experienced on social media after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Finale.

While winding up, the Austrian made it apparent that Verstappen is very committed to Red Bull. The Dutchman and Red Bull have inked a long-term deal that expires in 2028. The 26-year-old will therefore not be thinking about moving to Mercedes, at least unless Red Bull drop off massively.

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• ferrari
• Lewis Hamilton
• Max Verstappen
• Red Bull