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Formula One: Which drivers will drive for Mercedes and Ferrari in 2019?

By Asher Fair

MONTMELO, SPAIN - MAY 14: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 leads Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H on track during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 14, 2017 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
MONTMELO, SPAIN - MAY 14: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO8 leads Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF70H on track during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 14, 2017 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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SUZUKA, JAPAN – OCTOBER 08: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
SUZUKA, JAPAN – OCTOBER 08: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

The case for Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen, 20, began driving full-time in Formula One in the 2015 season for Toro Rosso. His top finishes that season were 4th place efforts at Hungary and the United States en route to a 12th place finish in the drivers standings.

The following season, Verstappen began the year with three top 10 finishes and a retirement for Toro Rosso before he was promoted to Red Bull Racing to replace Daniil Kvyat as an 18-year-old.

In his first race driving for his new team, Verstappen won at Spain, although he definitely benefited from the first-lap crash between the drivers running in the top 2, Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

While he did not secure a win in any of the remaining 16 races of the season, Verstappen proved that his win was no fluke, as he racked up six more podium finishes, including four 2nd place finishes, and he did so as a teenager en route to a 5th place finish in the standings.

Through 16 races so far this season, Verstappen has had seven retirements, particularly because of the lack of reliability of his car. However, he still sits in 6th in the standings with a win at Malaysia and two other podium finishes, including a 2nd place finish at Japan.

At just 20 years of age, Verstappen already has two career wins, and the future certainly looks bright for him. He is definitely deserving of a ride with either Mercedes or Ferrari in the near future.

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