Ferrari may face an important decision over who should partner Charles Leclerc in the longer term, with Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman among the obvious names in the discussion. Former Maranello engineer Luigi Mazzola, however, has identified a far more ambitious option: Max Verstappen.
Speaking to F1inGenerale.com, Mazzola argued that Ferrari should be prepared to pursue the Red Bull driver if an opportunity ever emerged. Rather than limiting the debate to Hamilton’s future or a possible promotion for Bearman, he believes the Scuderia should consider trying to assemble a Leclerc-Verstappen partnership.
Max Verstappen emerges as Luigi Mazzola’s preferred Ferrari option
The driver market produced relatively few major surprises during the summer break, with several potentially complicated situations ultimately reaching straightforward conclusions. Max Verstappen’s future had been expected to become one of the pivotal elements because a departure from Red Bull would almost certainly have affected several other teams and drivers.
The Dutchman’s situation was therefore being watched closely before confirmation that the four-time world champion would remain with Red Bull. Questions over his longer-term position have continued to attract attention, particularly because of the contractual mechanisms surrounding Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future and exit clauses.
It was during that earlier period of uncertainty that Mazzola was asked about Ferrari’s potential choices. The conversation centred on whether Lewis Hamilton should remain part of the team’s plans and whether Bearman could eventually be promoted, but Mazzola offered a third possibility by making clear that Verstappen would be his preferred target.
The former Ferrari engineer suggested that Maranello should set its ambitions at the highest possible level. In his view, if there were a realistic opportunity to recruit Verstappen, Ferrari should immediately explore it rather than assuming the Dutchman was beyond reach.
Why Mazzola believes Charles Leclerc can lead Ferrari
Mazzola’s proposed line-up starts with the belief that Ferrari already has a driver capable of fighting for the Formula 1 world championship in Leclerc. He pointed to the investment the Italian team has made in the Monegasque, having supported his development through its Academy before providing him with the machinery to compete at the front.
From Mazzola’s perspective, Leclerc has the ability required to win the championship if Ferrari supplies a competitive enough car. That makes the identity of the driver alongside him particularly significant as the team considers how its line-up might evolve.
Hamilton remains central to that discussion. Mazzola maintained that the seven-time world champion was still fast despite approaching 40 at the time of the comments, drawing a comparison with Fernando Alonso continuing to perform at the age of 43. He therefore believed Hamilton could still make a difference in modern Formula 1.
His uncertainty instead concerned the longer term. Mazzola questioned whether Hamilton would still be capable of raising Ferrari’s overall level by the time he reached a third season with the team. The Briton’s place within Ferrari’s future has consequently become part of a wider discussion over how strongly Ferrari should build around Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari urged to act if Red Bull ever opens the door
Mazzola’s preferred alternative would be to react aggressively if Verstappen ever became dissatisfied at Red Bull and considered a move elsewhere, including Mercedes. He argued that even the smallest opening involving the Hasselt-born driver should be enough for Ferrari to enter the negotiations.
One potential obstacle would be managing two drivers of Leclerc and Verstappen’s status and ambition, but Mazzola does not view that challenge as a reason to avoid such a pairing. Instead, he sees the management of demanding elite-level personalities as one of the fundamental responsibilities of senior leadership.
To support that argument, he pointed to some of Formula 1’s most celebrated and difficult team-mate combinations. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost raced together at McLaren, while Ferrari itself fielded Alain Prost alongside Nigel Mansell. None represented an easy management exercise, yet their personalities did not prevent teams from putting exceptional drivers together.
Leadership would be tested by a Leclerc-Verstappen pairing
Mazzola compared the situation with managing a company. A leader can surround themselves with cooperative people of average ability and achieve respectable results, or work with more demanding personalities whose exceptional talent offers a much higher potential return.
In his assessment, the second scenario is where genuine leadership becomes crucial. A driver being difficult to manage should not automatically be considered a problem with the driver; instead, Mazzola believes it becomes the responsibility of the team’s leaders to create an environment in which that talent can be controlled and used effectively.
For that reason, he would not be discouraged by the prospect of combining Verstappen with Leclerc. If Ferrari ever had the opportunity to recruit the Dutchman, Mazzola’s position is that the Scuderia should accept the management challenge and focus on having two exceptional drivers rather than choosing a less demanding option.
Hamilton and Bearman may remain the more immediate reference points when Ferrari’s future driver line-up is discussed, but Mazzola’s preferred solution is considerably more ambitious. If Red Bull ever gave Verstappen a genuine reason to look elsewhere, the former Ferrari engineer believes Maranello should be ready to make its move.
Leave a Reply