As the 2021 season narrows down to six rounds, the season has easily given us one of the most invigorating title battles we’ve seen in a while. Two of the sport’s titans go head to head; an experience that makes every race phenomenal. Max Verstappen has proven himself to be a growing influence in the sport, and Lewis Hamilton cements himself as an icon. Mercedes tweeted a picture implying Verstappen’s shift to the team, but what if the forces collided?

As the two arrive at the COTA ahead of the United States GP, Max Verstappen pulled up in Mercedes. Further, it had a Red Bull livery. In a rather satirical moment, Mercedes took to Twitter to share the image. “Max to Mercedes. Confirmed.”

As fans reacted with memes and jokes, as was the intent of the post, a few begged the question: “What if?” 

Although the imagination goes to a Hamilton-Verstappen pairing, what if the Red Bull poster boy accompanied Mercedes’ newest recruit? Having two forerunners of the new F1 generation in one team doesn’t sound too bad.

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Looking at racecraft and talent, a Verstappen-Hamilton pairing could potentially be the pinnacle of the sport. However, the two drivers individually just wouldn’t match, and a lot of fans thought so too. Bad idea aside, maybe a trip to an alternative reality wouldn’t be so bad.

Max Verstappen in a Mercedes machine

It’s old news that the Silver Arrows approached the Dutchman back in 2014. But, now that Verstappen’s graph is on an upward trajectory, what if the rivals were teammates, driving in the same car?

As one fan rightly stated, “Every race gonna [be] Spain 2016 if that happens.” Referring to the infamous Turn 3 crash between Rosberg and Hamilton in the first lap of the 2016 Spanish GP.

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Aggressive on-track collisions have been a frequent sight this season. However, the reason this would be a problem if they were teammates is that they have more in common than differences.

Both drivers are extremely zealous. While aggression is associated with Verstappen, Hamilton is aggressive too. You can’t be a seven-time champion and record-setter by playing it easy on the field. His years of experience in the sport have helped the Briton command this emotion.

Putting Verstappen in Mercedes would make the pairing a force of nature. Although when battling against each other would be a game of chicken. Max would either threaten Hamilton’s position or be treated like a second driver; either way, it wouldn’t be the most conducive for the driver.

Nonetheless, the internal conflict at Mercedes would be worse than what the teams saw with Nico Rosberg. The toxicity would mean that the team would top Qualifying sessions, but come Sunday, collisions and team orders would only fuel drama and drop in positions.

Overall, it’s only reassuring to see Verstappen in the Milton Keynes outfit, and Hamilton in his Brackley outfit. After all, without the difference in teams, would the season really be as risque as it is?

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