Max Verstappen has always preferred to stay away from noise and drama and he may have just demonstrated the same in the most convincing way recently. In a time when the F1 world has gone berserk thanks to rumors that Lewis Hamilton could potentially snub Mercedes and move to rivals Ferrari, the Dutchman finds it a suitable time to market his $178 worth merchandise.
The 26-year-old took to his official Instagram account and put up a video to market his personal helmet from his Toro Rosso days. In the video, he recalls the time he entered F1 and explains how proud he feels to call himself a driver who has reached the pinnacle of motorsport.
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Fans interested in purchasing Verstappen’s helmet can do so on verstappen.com. Two different scales of the helmet are available: 1:2 and 1:4. It costs $178 (€164,95). Although several Verstappen fans would be happy to hear the 26-year-old’s announcement, some believe that the Red Bull driver chose the wrong time to market his products.
Fans such as Nini took to X and wrote that “now is not the time to sell” his helmets.
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO SELL UR MINI HELMETS pic.twitter.com/f5z3IH139g
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) February 1, 2024
Meanwhile, some other fans such as Lina explained how Verstappen is “unbothered” by the drama, but they too believe that the Dutchman chose the wrong time to market his helmets.
MAXXXX he is unbothered but this is not the time
— Lina ⁴ (@LF1_NA) February 1, 2024
Then, some fans such as Jess interestingly believe that Verstappen chose the perfect time from a business point of view to market his products since he is aware that most would be online because of the ongoing speculations about Hamilton’s future.
He knows we’re all online lmao when better to try and sell them
— Jess (@Jessx_mpm) February 1, 2024
Is Lewis Hamilton snubbing Mercedes for Ferrari?
Veteran F1 reporter Rachel Brookes has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will snub Mercedes and sign for Ferrari for the 2025 season. Although the Briton signed a deal with the Silver Arrows that was supposed to last until the end of the 2025 campaign, reports suggest that the second year as per the details of his contract was optional.
Mercedes employees in Brackley have been told that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving at the end of the 2024 season ️
The seven-time world champion will join Ferrari for the 2025 season pic.twitter.com/oGJ8kK7Vt7
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 1, 2024
As a result, Hamilton can make such a blockbuster move to the Prancing Horse after just one season of his new contract with Mercedes. However, it is pertinent to note that neither Mercedes nor Ferrari have confirmed the news yet.
Then there are even some more shocking reports that claim that the Briton could join Ferrari as early as this year. That would mean that Hamilton would replace Carlos Sainz, whose contract is set to end at the end of the 2024 campaign.
If Hamilton’s move to Ferrari were indeed to materialize, it would only add to the speculations surrounding the current environment at Mercedes. Last year, the 39-year-old made some audacious claims as he blamed members of the Silver Arrows for not listening to him and producing the W14 that was way below expectations.
Now, if Hamilton does end up joining Ferrari, people will wonder what happened between him and Mercedes. Is Hamilton unhappy with Mercedes’ current direction or whether the problems at Brackley run much deeper?
The only thing that seems certain is that there are too many questions at the moment that will need answers from the respective parties.