Lewis Hamilton shares glowing endorsement for Mercedes amid major confession about Red Bull

Lewis Hamilton endorsed Mercedes as an exceptional team for Max Verstappen if the Dutchman were to consider switching teams in the future. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda, ahead of the 2025 British GP, he weighed in on the ongoing speculation surrounding Verstappen’s potential move from Red Bull to Mercedes.

Reflecting on his own past comments, Hamilton also expressed regret over referring to Red Bull Racing as merely an energy drinks company. He praised their achievements in recent years and acknowledged the team’s capabilities and success. The seven-time world champion felt that both Red Bull and Mercedes were exceptional outfits, and either would be a strong option for a driver of Verstappen’s calibre.

As for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton maintained that the Brackley-based outfit remains a passionate and high-performing environment with the right personnel to support top-tier talent. With the Verstappen situation still unfolding, Hamilton said he was intrigued to see whether the Dutchman would remain with Red Bull or choose to make the switch.

Asked if Verstappen were to ask him for advice before moving to his former team, what would he have to say, Lewis Hamilton replied:

"Of course. I mean, he's coming from a great team, and I think many, many years ago, I was asked something about energy drinks. I think I was just so die-hard Mercedes at the time, and I remember saying something about Red Bull being only a drinks company, and I always regretted it. Because I was just saying that as Mercedes was great at the time, and I was just trying to pick up my team."

He added:

"But the truth is Red Bull has been an incredible team. There are so many people there that are exceptional, and they've dominated for years. But what I can say, if anyone was going to ask me about Mercedes, is that it is an amazing team also with, naturally, the passion. They've got great personnel; it's a great factory, great environment to work in, so of course I would say. I'm interested to see what happens,” said Lewis Hamilton.

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Lewis Hamilton on gravitating towards Charles Leclerc's ways to extract performance from the Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton also claimed that he has started to gravitate towards Charles Leclerc’s approach to getting his Ferrari car to work. He felt that there was a breakthrough in Austria as a result, where their pace was closely matched.

The seven-time world champion revealed that several different setup directions had been explored to make the car work better for him. However, with Leclerc being more familiar with the car, emulating some of his methods helped Hamilton improve his performance.

The Brit acknowledged that the Monegasque driver has contributed significantly to the car’s development over time. As a result, Hamilton shared that the 2026 Ferrari will be tweaked more to suit his driving style and comfort level, as he still finds the current car’s balance to be tricky.

Asked if there was any particular reason why he had a breakthrough with the direction of the car in Austria, Lewis Hamilton said:

“Obviously we have lots of different tools and things that we, the ways in which we can set the car up. Charles has been here for a long time and he's been a part of evolving and developing this car, so he's very accustomed to it. He's found one way in which the car works and I've tried all the other directions that should work, but they just don't for whatever reasons. And I've slowly migrated to the position, to the place where Charles does run the car."

"Last week was the closest that I’ve ever been [to Charles] and our pace has been the closest it has ever been. It is still tough. It's a tough balance to drive and it's not a comfortable one. It’s not one that I want to have in future. So I'm working with all the guys at it, and hopefully, we'll be able to get some of the characteristics that I'm hoping to have in it for next year,” Lewis Hamilton further added.

Lewis Hamilton is yet to secure his first podium or win with Ferrari in the 2025 season. While he trails teammate Charles Leclerc by only 28 points in the drivers’ championship, Leclerc has already claimed four podiums, three third places, and one second. Hamilton’s sole victory this season came in the sprint race in China.

Leclerc currently sits fifth in the standings, while Hamilton is sixth with a total of 91 points. Ferrari is second in the constructors’ championship, though the gap to leaders McLaren remains considerable.

Both drivers have acknowledged that recent upgrades to the car have made a positive impact, with further development expected in the coming rounds. With Silverstone being the venue of his most recent Grand Prix win, Hamilton will be aiming to turn his season around on home soil.