Wolff and Mercedes keep flirting with Verstappen despite impossibility
F1 News
Toto Wolff is still keen to sign three-time World Champion Max Verstappen despite it being impossible for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The Mercedes team boss also explained how he tried to exploit a 'dysfunctional' Red Bull to sign the driver who has won the last three world championships.
Ahead of last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, Mercedes confirmed to GPblog that a Verstappen move to Mercedes in 2025 was no longer possible. This ended months of speculation about a possible switch for the reigning world champion, but Wolff is keen to keep the communication channels open.
The prospect of Verstappen moving to Mercedes came about earlier in 2024. Verstappen's contract still runs through 2028 at Red Bull Racing, but suddenly it was not so certain that the Dutchman would serve that contract in full. At the beginning of the year, the turmoil began with an internal power struggle and Christian Horner being accused of inappropriate behaviour. A row ensued between Horner and the Verstappen family and Adrian Newey left. At Mercedes, they smelled their chance and tried to appeal to Verstappen to see if they could entice him into a switch. Wolff admits to trying to take advantage of this.
"The relationships were dysfunctional. I'm not sure they are back in a great place, but it is what it is. There was a moment, or there was an opportunity, to at least have conversations of what it could be in the future, and this is what we did," Wolff told the BBC.
Wolff wants to keep talking to Verstappen
"We have not given each other any timings. It is more like, keep the communication channel open, while knowing that his priority is to make it function with Red Bull and our priority will be to make it function with the two drivers we have," Wolff provided an update to the BBC.
Mercedes have George Russell locked in, but a seat remains free after Lewis Hamilton decided to move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. It seems likely that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will get that vacant seat and he will compete in practice this weekend in Monza. But what about 2026?
"Much too early [for 2026]. For the benefit of our drivers next year, I don't want to have any conversation about 2026 or beyond because we very much hope that the 2025 line-up will be the line-up going forward," Wolff added.