Is Wolff hunting Verstappen? 'They want to rob their great rivals'

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Villeneuve cites Wolff's reason for hijacking Verstappen at Red Bull
3 August at 19:00
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  • Nicole Mulder

Max Verstappen has already confirmed several times that he will stay with Red Bull Racing for the 2025 Formula 1 season, but Toto Wolff is not giving up so easily and has indicated that he is willing to wait for the Dutchman. However, Jacques Villeneuve suspects there is more at play in the Mercedes team boss's attempts to hijack Verstappen away from the Austrian formation.

The situation at Red Bull this year is in stark contrast to that of a year earlier when the F1 team had the most dominant season ever in the history of the sport. Even before the current season, unrest arose within the team, but for some time now, the RB20's performance has not been as it was either. Villeneuve analyses whether Red Bull is still the best place for the three-time world champion.

"It depends on what becomes available for Max Verstappen. There is no space at McLaren. Would he be treated any better at Mercedes? And would he take George Russell or Kimi Antonelli’s seat? Both Russell and Antonelli are Mercedes products and have been heavily invested in," the 1997 world champion explained to Instantcasino.com.

Villeneuve: 'Mercedes wants to rob Red Bull of Verstappen'

Moreover, Villeneuve suspects that there are other motivations for Toto Wolff in wanting to contract Verstappen. "But, Mercedes would probably want to sign Verstappen just to rob their big rivals, Red Bull, of their star driver," argues the 53-year-old Canadian.

"There is no good team for Verstappen to go to right now, but in the long term, we’ll have to see. He’s been in the Red Bull bubble his whole career, and it won’t be easy to recreate that comfortable atmosphere at another team," Villeneuve concludes.

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy