Lewis Hamilton is expected to put pen to paper on a two-year extension with Mercedes, potentially his final F1 contract.
Lewis Hamilton may be left frustrated in his hopes of winning a record eighth World Championship before he retires, with Felipe Massa expecting Max Verstappen to ‘win everything’ until 2026. Hamilton has had to sit back and watch since losing the 2021 World Championship to Verstappen in controversial fashion
Mercedes have been unable to match the dominant Red Bull over the past 18 months, with Verstappen going from strength to strength. The Dutchman has smashed all sorts of records over the past two seasons and has won 10 of the 12 races this year.
He’s been untouchable in F1, and that dominance is expected to continue after the summer break. But Massa believes Verstappen will embark on an era similar to what Hamilton enjoyed with Mercedes.
The new F1 regulations will be introduced for the 2026 season, where major changes are expected to shake up the grid once more. Massa has tipped Verstappen to win all three world titles before that happens, leaving Hamilton with no hope of clinching a record-breaking eighth championship before his retirement.
“I think that until 2026, when we will have the change of regulations, Verstappen wins everything,” Massa told Marca. “I think we will have equal regulations and Verstappen is superior, Red Bull is superior.
“So until 2026 we can expect Verstappen to win all the titles. Then, logically, we have a big change, with everything new, new car, then we have to understand if Red Bull will be the same as today.
