F1 News
Verstappen is not an option for Mercedes
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen is still leading the way at Red Bull Racing, but the Dutchman's long term future is constantly questioned and a place at Mercedes has often been touted. However, Toto Wolff has made it clear that this is not an option for now.
In 2015 Max Verstappen made his debut in Formula 1 at Toro Rosso. He stepped up to Red Bull in 2016 and has been competing at the top ever since. However, the Dutchman is yet to be able to compete for a World Championship, primarily due to the Mercedes' dominance.
Verstappen to Mercedes off the table
The former Alpha Tauri man has been linked in the past with a future drive at the Silver Arrows but Toto Wolff appears to have all but ruled it out for now.
"The situation around Verstappen does not give us any chance to bring him in at the moment. He is tied to Red Bull and I respect his loyalty to that team enormously. I think it's also important for Red Bull that they have Max, so the situation is the way it is," said Toto Wolff on the Beyond the Grid podcast.
Mercedes' team boss points to his own talents Esteban Ocon and George Russell, but is also still very happy with his current driver duo. "They don't play political games and don't hold dates for each other. When two drivers fight, it creates a negative momentum in the team. We haven't seen that since the arrival of Valtteri Bottas."