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Max Verstappen hopes old rival Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 move to Ferrari<\/a> will be a success and seemed excited by the prospect of seeing the seven-time world champion wearing red.<\/p>\n Hamilton’s bombshell move, which will happen after he finishes the final year of his Mercedes contract, has been the big story of F1’s offseason period.<\/p>\n – Unlapped: How to listen or watch ESPN’s F1 show<\/a> Assuming he does not win in 2024 with Mercedes, Hamilton will look to win a record eighth career title with Ferrari, something Verstappen denied him from doing at the end of a bitter and controversial 2021 championship battle.<\/p>\n Verstappen said the team switch makes sense for a driver so accomplished.<\/p>\n “I was probably a bit surprised with the announcement at the time,” Verstappen told ESPN. “But if someone wants to drive for Ferrari, and especially when you have achieved already so much in your career, why not?<\/p>\n “Ferrari is an amazing brand, it has so much history.”<\/p>\n Verstappen said it is impossible to have a verdict on Hamilton’s decision without knowledge of his contract talks with both teams.<\/p>\n In a separate media session, he added: “We don’t know the talks that they had at Mercedes, at Ferrari, what has been promised, what they think is coming. So you can’t give an honest assessment from our side why you make that decision.<\/p>\n “But if he’s happy with that move, then he should go, I think it will look cool. And of course, I hope for them that it’s going to be success, but you don’t know at the moment.”<\/p>\n
– What Hamilton’s move means for Ferrari, Mercedes and F1<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n