Who will succeed Verstappen as F1 champion? Guenther Steiner hopes for Charles Leclerc. Guenther Steiner hopes Charles Leclerc will become the successor of Max Verstappen as the F1 World Champion.

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner is betting on Charles Leclerc to become the successor of Max Verstappen as the Formula 1 World Champion. The Italian hopes that the Ferrari man will be the one to dethrone the Dutchman, as it would signify a step forward for Ferrari, which would also help Haas move up the grid.

Guenther Steiner doesn’t want to overlook Haas in his predictions, and although he knows they won’t be Max Verstappen’s main rivals, he wants Ferrari to build a great car in Maranello. The Italian-American motorsport engineer and team manager is confident that the Monegasque will be the next world champion and Max Verstappen’s successor in the future, as that would always be a good sign for his team in their specific goals.

“I would say that someone is going to challenge Red Bull and Max next year, I think we’re going to have more competition. I don’t know exactly who will do it, but I hope it’s Charles who succeeds Max as champion because that would mean they have a good package, and at the same time, we will have a good one too. We’re a bit selfish,” Guenther Steiner commented in a Christmas special interview on Sky Sports.

Looking ahead to 2025, Guenther Steiner anticipates a very intense Silly Season, with many changes, whether due to retirements or underperformance. The Italian believes that the rookies who have complained about a lack of opportunities are now presented with a great chance to make the leap. He even thinks there could be up to five new faces on the grid.

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“I think there could be a lot of team changes in 2025, and we could also have several new drivers on the grid. They have a great opportunity to make the jump; many of the current drivers may leave Formula 1, be left without a seat due to poor performance, and perhaps it’s a better chance to take a risk with a young talent,” he explained.

“There have been a few young drivers who have complained that Formula 1 is very difficult for rookies, but if they show their potential, they have a great opportunity. Before this year, everyone was scared of rookies, but Oscar Piastri came along and has been good from the start. People believe that if he does well, others can too, so there could be three, four, or even five rookies in 2025,” Guenther Steiner acknowledged in his recent interview.