The titanic battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will hold Formula 1 in its grip in 2021. But what could be better than a brawling Mercedes and Red Bull? Exactly, the battle between both drivers with equal weapons at Mercedes. It would also make it clear once and for all which of the two world top performers is the fastest.
However, that battle is not going to happen. That much is clear. If the Dutch fans still expect that Verstappen will make the switch to Mercedes, then a lot is needed.
It is certainly not the case that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is not interested in the services of Verstappen. In fact, should Verstappen be able to make use of his exit clause at Red Bull, Mercedes is very, very interested in the services of the Dutchman.
The performance of Red Bull-Honda this season also largely determines Hamilton’s future in Formula 1. The Briton says time and again in the media that he does not shy away from the challenge of wanting Verstappen as a teammate, but behind the scenes. different sounds are heard.
Wolff and Mercedes negotiated for months about a new agreement that was only concluded just before the start of the season. After all those months of negotiating, why did Hamilton only sign for one season? Apparently he was also presented with a lower salary?
Hamilton only signed for one season and expressed doubts about his future before the start of the season. The driver and his team boss never came up with a logical explanation for this short commitment, but that explanation is simple: the future of Verstappen.
The Dutchman is under contract with Red Bull until 2023, but has one or more exit clause (s) in his contract. If Red Bull, or Honda, does not perform, Verstappen can get out of his contract – something that has also been confirmed by Helmut Marko. This season, Verstappen is participating for the world title, so these clauses do not apply or it must be that special circumstances suddenly occur.
It has now become clear that Toto Wolff and his star driver want to meet before the summer. In doing so, the stake is a one-year or two-year deal for the 36-year-old champion. Remarkable, given that both parties again have to start a whole negotiation process – something they recently did for months on end.
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What has changed in a few months?
Mercedes knows that Verstappen will not be on the market before 2022. This paves the way for Hamilton to continue his career with the German superpower. Wolff knows that his team needs a world star to gain exposure for the car brand and to ensure that Mercedes continues to compete for the world title in 2022. In that light, Hamilton is also the only option for the team, possibly accompanied by the young, talented George Russel. However, the Briton still has to gain experience to be prepared for possible world titles.
Verstappen, in turn, has faith in the Red Bull team and its engine program, but also knows that Red Bull will have to tap from a different tune in 2022 to become the dominant team. This season, Red Bull has taken a step, but nevertheless the team is again facing a backlog.
The Honda engine is still lacking in power and has a less efficient hybrid system than Mercedes and the W12 is still just a bit faster than the RB16B. In view of the engine freeze, an extra step from Japan is needed to enable mega successes in 2022 and beyond for Red Bull.
The world title is the goal this year, but not a must. From 2022, the playing field will be completely open due to the new regulations. Red Bull knows that it must then be in pole position and reward Verstappen’s confidence with a dominant car.
Hamilton, in turn, will be relieved that the threat from Verstappen at Mercedes is gone. This allows him to be the leader of Mercedes for the time being unthreatened, knowing that he has nothing to fear from Valtteri Bottas. The ideal time to sign a new contract, right, Lewis and Toto? This deal is expected to be completed during the summer break at the latest.
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