Max Verstappen could replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes; F1 star gives his take

With Lewis Hamilton only signing a new one-year contract with Mercedes, Max Verstappen is in pole position to replace the British driver for the 2022 F1 season. With 10 wins and 42 podiums already under his belt, the 23-year-old Verstappen has undoubtedly impressed several teams across the paddock. Despite Mercedes' dominance in the past seven seasons, Verstappen has managed to give both Mercedes drivers a run for their money in the previous two seasons.

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Is Max Verstappen to Mercedes a possibility for 2022?

Despite widespread speculations of a move to Mercedes in 2022 being a possibility for Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver chooses to first focus on the task at hand rather than dwell on future possibilities. When asked about this speculation, Verstappen responded, "At the end of the day, I don't know what Lewis is going to do so I just focus on myself. I am very focused on this year and making that a success. It is still very early in the season, so those kind of things I am not thinking about at this stage."

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Moreover, Verstappen is not the only person who has responded to the possibility of him moving to Mercedes. Red Bull chief Christian Horner also believes Verstappen is bound to be Mercedes' top target if Lewis Hamilton is to leave at the end of the season. Horner said, "I am sure should Lewis decide to stop then Max will naturally be the driver at the top of Mercedes' list. They also have George Russell and other drivers available to them."

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F1 2021 season and schedule

Although speculations will continue and rise as the season progresses, all eyes will be set on the season opener at Bahrain. The Bahrain Grand Prix race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM IST on March 28th at the Bahrain International Circuit. As per the 2021 F1 schedule, the next races listed are the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on April 18 and the Spanish Grand Prix on May 9.

This season, Mercedes will be looking to make it eight Constructor's and Driver's Championship in a row while Red Bull will hope to pose a tougher challenge. Most importantly, Hamilton will be looking to overtake Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in F1 history in what could be his last season. As of now, both drivers have won seven Driver's Championships.

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