Wolff sees chance of Verstappen's arrival increasing after win at Silverstone

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Wolff sees chance of Verstappen's arrival increasing
7 July at 19:00
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  • Tim Kraaij

Two wins in a row for Mercedes and so the smile is big on Toto Wolff's face. For six months he has been shouting that the car needs to improve to attract drivers like Max Verstappen, finally it seems to be working.

Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes, the team's search has been ongoing. Many names have been mentioned, but Toto Wolff has never made a secret of the fact that Max Verstappen is the number one candidate. Indeed, despite a signed contract, Verstappen could leave Red Bull Racing.

During the press moment with Wolff after the race, he was asked if it affects the Austrian's choice that his team are now competing for wins. "I don't think it does influence our thinking. I've always said we need a car that goes quick. And when we have a car that goes quick, we put a driver in and we get interesting for many drivers. But, in a way, I think we need to stay calm and continue the season."

Wolff sees chance of Verstappen's arrival growing

Wolff has always indicated that the focus should be on a faster car. That was one of the main reasons why Wolff thought Verstappen would not be interested in a switch now. The car was simply not fast enough.

However, with two wins in a row, the Mercedes seat is becoming increasingly interesting for good drivers, including Verstappen. So when asked by GPblog whether more drivers will now be interested in the seat, Wolff could only laugh. With a big smile, he shrugged his shoulders, before pointing to Red Bull Racing's hospitality: "I don't know. He [Verstappen] had lots of opportunity to have a look at our car in the race."