Lewis Hamilton, the British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, was seen alongside Sergio Perez from Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen, also from Red Bull Racing, during the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2, 2024. This race marked the first round of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Karun Chandhok, a former Formula 1 driver who now works as a television pundit, has proposed five driver changes that he believes would bring some excitement to the series, especially considering Red Bull’s current dominance. Red Bull has been consistently outperforming their competitors in the past three seasons, thanks to the latest ground effect regulations. Max Verstappen has been leading the team to consecutive 1-2 finishes.
Despite the lack of changes in the F1 roster this year, that will not be the case in 2025. Lewis Hamilton’s surprising decision to leave Mercedes has created an opening alongside George Russell at the team. As a result, several drivers have been linked to this coveted spot. Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz have been mentioned as potential options. Additionally, Verstappen’s name has been thrown into the mix following the investigation into Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
Chandhok supports the idea of Verstappen moving to Mercedes, while Alonso would take his place at Red Bull and Sainz would replace his fellow Spaniard at Aston Martin. In addition, Chandhok believes that Oliver Bearman, who impressed during his stand-in appearance for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, deserves a promotion. He suggests a complete shuffle of the grid, with Hamilton going to Ferrari, Verstappen to Mercedes, Alonso to Red Bull, Sainz to Aston Martin, and Bearman joining Haas.
Chandhok shared his thoughts on his X account, saying, “Let’s completely rearrange the grid and bring some excitement to F1. Hamilton to Ferrari, Verstappen to Mercedes, Alonso to Red Bull, Sainz to Aston Martin, and Bearman to Haas! That would definitely attract viewers in 2026… Stefano Domenicali, F1 CEO, let’s make those phone calls!”
Verstappen has restated his intention to honor his Red Bull agreement until 2028, but he did acknowledge that Hamilton’s move to Ferrari demonstrated that the future is uncertain.
“The thing is, I believe no one could have predicted that Lewis would join Ferrari,” he stated.
“In my personal life, not just in relation to F1 or anything else, you never know what will happen or what will come your way, or what external factors may influence you.
“So, you can never say with absolute certainty that things will unfold as expected, and I approach life with that mindset.
“But I also don’t dwell on it too much. I am very calm, content with the team, and the performance is consistently strong – there is no reason to seek alternatives.”
However, the three-time champion has acknowledged that there is “no incentive to depart” from Red Bull as long as the team remains the dominant force in F1.
“It all boils down to the car’s performance,” he clarified.
“And naturally, starting from 2026, there will be some uncertainties due to new regulations, but I was aware of that when I signed my contract.
“However, I also recognize what they have done for my career, so my intention is definitely to continue with this team because I genuinely enjoy it and I am genuinely happy within the team.
“As long as we continue to excel, there is no justification for me to seek a change.”