Mercedes might have already made contact with Max Verstappen in their search for a Lewis Hamilton replacement, says Helmut Markoꦬ.

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in 2025 means Mercedes are already b🅺usily conside🐲ring how to replace the seven-time F1 champion.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris are newly-contracted to their curr♐ent teams while Verstapꩵpen is tied down long-term at Red Bull.

ꦓBut Red Bull’s Marko was asked if Mercedes might 🍬try to contact Verstappen.

“I ꦆwould be surprised if they 🔥hadn't,” he replied to .

“But Max is a very loyal driver.”

Hamilton will spend one final year at Merce𒆙des, the team which has helped him achieve six of his seven championships.

Marko was asked what he expects from Ha🍬milton this year, after a win-less two seasons.

“Lewis is an exceptional driver,” he replied.

“If they give him a car that is capable of winning [races] or even a World Championship, they will have to involve him until the end 🌞– and so just jump over their shadow.”

Toto Wolff has insisted that Mercedes have no concerns over Hamilton’s “integrity” in his fina﷽l year before moving to a direct rival.

Red Bull, meanwhile, rema🃏in F1’s team to beat after just one grand prix in 2024.

Verstappen cruised to victor💮y in🙈 Saturday's Bahrain Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez second.

Last year they won all-but-one grands prix - can th🎃ey do it again?

“There are also route-specific ♔🎉parameters,” Marko insisted.

“If you don't get pol💟e in Monaco or Singapore, it will be di▨fficult to win.

“That's not our goal, of course we want to get close to this dream result, but the competition ha🌸s gotten closer.

“Our goal is the championship.”

The RB20 shocked much of the F1 paddock when, despite the dominance of last year’s car, it wa𒁃s revealed with a bra𒁃ve new concept.

“With all our know-how, we were able to deꦦvelop a concept that was more revolutionary than evo༺lutionary,” Marko said.

“So we could go to extremes without riski▨ng it being a flop.

“In addi🎃tion, the word conservative simply does not exist in the minds of our technicians around Pierre Wache and Adrian Newey - that is also part of Red Bull's DNA.

“Yes, we surprised everyone with this car, one look at the n🃏arrow side pods is enough.

“You can also see that the entire field, let's call it, was based𒊎 on our c💯ar. So our package fits.”