Verstappen at Ferrari as Hamilton's replacement? Not the case for Herbert

Former FIA steward Johnny Herbert doesn’t believe Max Verstappen would take Lewis Hamilton’s place at Ferrari if the latter decided to retire.

The latest negative result at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix has raised several questions about Lewis Hamilton and the overall assessment of his first season so far wearing the red of Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion, after being eliminated twice in a row in Q1 at Spa, failed to qualify higher than twelfth at the Hungaroring, finishing the race in the same position he started.

Adding to this were Hamilton’s statements to the media during the weekend, which caused quite a stir in the paddock. Specifically, Hamilton described himself as "useless" and said that Ferrari would "probably need to change driver," expressing his frustration after yet another disappointing result.

Despite being through a difficult moment for the seven-time world champion, the idea of retirement remains unlikely, especially since the introduction of new technical regulations in 2026 could shake things up again and give the Englishman a fresh chance to redeem himself and fight for the title once more.

Lewis Hamilton

Herbert explores potential replacements for Hamilton at Ferrari

But if that scenario were to actually happen, who could take his place alongside Charles Leclerc?

“I don’t think it would be Verstappen. It could be one of the younger drivers, I guess,'' the former FIA steward told a betting site.

“But I saw a little interview with Carlos Sainz, and he said when asked if he would go back to Ferrari, he replied, ‘Yeah, maybe!’

Although Sainz has struggled so far against Alex Albon, the Englishman believes the Spaniard would still be an excellent choice: “Carlos was doing an absolutely brilliant job and was really keeping Charles under control.''

''He’s still young. He’s still doing a good job even if he’s struggling with Williams a bit. But we know how good he was when he was at Ferrari.''

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