Hamilton's potential replacement discussed: 'I would pick him every time'

Lewis Hamilton’s journey so far has fallen short of the expectations held by fans and insiders alike. After 14 Grands Prix, the seven-time world champion has yet to reach the podium and still seems unable to find his footing, despite the season being well past its halfway point.

In contrast, Charles Leclerc is enjoying one of his best seasons since joining the Maranello team, especially considering the less-than-stellar competitiveness of the SF-25 so far, which has struggled to truly challenge the MCL-39 except at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

At the Hungaroring, the Monegasque driver claimed his first pole position of the season—an unexpected achievement that, unfortunately, he couldn’t convert into a victory due to technical issues in the final stint of the race.

Leclerc can still boast five podiums this season—matching Max Verstappen’s tally—though Verstappen holds a lead with two additional race wins so far this year.

Analyzing this delicate phase of the Englishman’s career, Italian journalist Leo Turrini believes that Hamilton has underestimated the qualities of his new teammate: ''In all honesty, Lewis underestimated Charles,'' he shared via his blog Profondo Rosso.

When asked who could be a potential replacement for the English driver if he decided to retire, Turrini didn’t hesitate: ''If the question is purely hypothetical—free to ignore contracts, team dynamics, and all that—then I’d pick Verstappen every time. I actually think one day we’ll see him in red.''