Helmut Marko Makes Bold Max Verstappen Prediction After Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari Arrival

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has predicted the 2025 season for Max Verstappen after Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters on Monday, 20 January, to begin his onboarding process. Ferrari is predicted to be one of the season's favorites, along with McLaren, especially after it surpassed Red Bull last year to finish second in the Constructors' Championship.
Hamilton's Ferrari joining was highly anticipated and the Tifosi brought Maranello to a standstill to see their new favorite driver. Just two days later, the Briton's first track outing in an old Ferrari F1 car, likely the SF-23 from the 2023 season, saw huge crowd attraction around the team's famed Fiorano circuit.
The new Ferrari driver put in 30 laps in the car, which he described as being one of the best feelings of his life. Hamilton recently revealed that the big leap of faith to Ferrari in his storied F1 career was backed by his gut feeling. Having turned 40 early this month, he intends to make the best use of the upcoming years in the quest for his eighth world title, which he thinks could be achieved with Ferrari.
Marko, who has been known for his frank opinions, has commented on Ferrari's updated driver lineup, saying that Charles Leclerc's strong point is his qualifying performance, but his mistakes during Grands Prix set him back. The 81-year-old advisor admitted that Hamilton has the speed to win races but doubts if he can consistently perform through the hectic 2025 season. Speaking further to Bild, as quoted by RacingNews365, and comparing Hamilton to Verstappen, Marko said:
"Charles Leclerc is good at qualifying, but makes too many mistakes in the race.
“Lewis Hamilton still has the speed, but also over a whole season? I doubt that.
“Even if he has a fast Ferrari and we only build a mediocre Red Bull for Max Verstappen, I would still put my money on Max.”
Marko's claims come after rumors that Aston Martin had offered £1 billion to sign Verstappen, but they were eventually rejected. Mercedes also tried its best to lure the Dutchman into its camp but failed, leading it to sign rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 2024. The Red Bull advisor has stressed that Verstappen is loyal to his team and is confident that he will be handed a good car this season. He added:
“We are confident that we can provide Max with a good car.
“[Mercedes' interest] is nice and all, but Max has a contract until the end of 2028.
“I know how loyal and grateful he is towards Red Bull. Therefore, he will also be a Red Bull driver in 2026, and a five-time world champion."