Max Verstappen could be headed to Ferrari when Lewis Hamilton leaves, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who believes the Dutch champion and the Italian team would be a perfect match.
Verstappen himself admitted Thursday that joining Ferrari isn’t off the table, but he’d only make the move if they can give him a car capable of fighting for championships.
After dominating at Monza on Sunday with his third win of the season, Verstappen seemed right at home with the Italian fans. He grabbed pole position and controlled the race so completely that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said he “made everyone look stupid.”
The crowd’s reaction to Verstappen was telling.
“It felt like the whole crowd was shouting ‘Max Verstappen,'” Schumacher said on Sky’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “I already have the feeling that the Italians can well imagine that the fastest man in the field will soon be sitting in the Ferrari.”
Schumacher thinks the fit goes beyond just racing performance.
He sees something special in how Verstappen’s personal life might align with Ferrari’s culture under team principal Fred Vasseur.
“When I see Fred Vasseur today as a person and also what Ferrari embodies on site, plus Max in his current situation with his family, two children: Somehow I have the feeling that could be a great match,” Schumacher explained.
This comes despite Hamilton’s upcoming move to Ferrari.
The German acknowledges that Hamilton’s fortunes could change when F1 introduces new regulations in 2026. “Everything starts from scratch. It may be that his driving style suits the new concepts much better.”
Still, Schumacher believes Verstappen would be a better cultural fit at Ferrari “in terms of attitude.”
The win at Monza was Verstappen’s third at the iconic Italian track in the last four years.
