Ever since the beginning of the turbo-hybrid engine era, Mercedes have dominated F1. That is, before Max Verstappen came along challenging him for the WDC. But in the 2014-2020 period, having the seat alongside Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes was what all drivers aspired to have. But now that Verstappen has conquered the grid, there has been a shift in power. Driving alongside the Dutchman in Red Bull is now considered to be the best thing. So, the rumors of Charles Leclerc moving to Red Bull have been strengthening.

Red Bull has a bit of a conundrum now with Sergio Perez not being up to the mark. And Charles Leclerc has been having a tough time with Ferrari. So, the stars have aligned. But the decision hasn’t been made yet. In the latest episode of ‘Unlapped’, An ESPN F1 Show, Katie George, Laurence Edmondson, and Nate Saunders got into a debate over these rumors.

Saunders said, “I can see it. I think things have flipped around. For years, the most coveted seat in F1 was to be Lewis Hamilton’s teammate. But also at the same time, it was also the most difficult job in F1. But I think every driver backs themselves to be the guy that breaks that. And I think [Charles] Leclerc would back himself. He’ll say ‘I am a race winner. I’ve beaten Max.’ But I don’t think Max would really care who his teammate is.”

Verstappen’s dominance in the past 2 seasons claiming 20+ wins is huge evidence that Red Bull is the team to be for every driver. After 7 years of Mercedes’ dominance, Max has turned the tables clearly, taking Hamilton’s privilege of having the best seat on the grid. Regardless, the Dutchman wouldn’t care about the same.

As Saunders said, Verstappen couldn’t really care less about who drives alongside him. So even if RBR brings in Charles Leclerc, who has been reportedly approached for being in the 2nd seat, Max won’t mind it. He is the fastest driver in the fastest car on the grid. And even Hamilton agrees with that fact.

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Lewis Hamilton knows that the days when he dominated the grid are gone. Now that Verstappen has taken over those duties, the Briton has acknowledged that the crown has been passed. And the fact Red Bull and Verstappen are well-deserving of the success that is coming their way.

On BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, Hamilton said, “I had it and I was really, really fortunate to have it with this team, Michael [Schumacher] had it, Sebastian [Vettel] had it and now it’s Max’s period.  Ultimately, him and his team have just done a better job than everybody else, and you cannot take it away from them.”

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First, Hamilton was rumored to move to Ferrari. Now, Leclerc is rumored to sign a contract with Red Bull. The former was quashed but the latter is still open for speculation. Would you like to see the Monegasque don the Red Bull outfit?

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